[Senate Document 105-31]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
105th Congress, 2d Session - - - - - - - - - - Senate Document 105-031
Wendell H. Ford
U.S. SENATOR FROM KENTUCKY
TRIBUTES
IN THE CONGRESS OF
THE UNITED STATES
S. Doc. 105-31
Tributes
Delivered in Congress
Wendell H. Ford
United States Senator
1974-1998
---
Compiled under the direction
of the
Secretary of the Senate
by the
Office of Printing and Document Services
CONTENTS
Biography............................................. vii
Proceedings in the Senate:
Tributes by Senators:
Boxer, Barbara, of California.................. 40
Burns, Conrad, of Montana...................... 19
Byrd, Robert C., of West Virginia............ 6, 21
Daschle, Tom, of South Dakota............ 4, 14, 26
Staff letter................................ 15
Domenici, Pete V., of New Mexico............... 25
Dorgan, Byron L., of North Dakota........... 13, 24
Glenn, John, of Ohio........................... 1
Gramm, Rod, of Minnesota....................... 25
Inouye, Daniel K., of Hawaii................... 31
Kempthorne, Dirk, of Idaho..................... 23
Lautenberg, Frank R., of New Jersey............ 18
Leahy, Patrick J., of Vermont.................. 39
Levin, Carl, of Maine.......................... 16
Lott, Trent, of Mississippi................. 14, 34
McCain, John, of Arizona....................... 12
McConnell, Mitch, of Kentucky.................. 10
Nickles, Don, of Oklahoma...................... 17
Sessions, Jeff, of Alabama..................... 33
Stevens, Ted, of Alaska........................ 11
Thurmond, Strom, of South Carolina............. 15
Farewell address of Senator Wendell H. Ford........ 41
Order for printing of individual Senate documents.. 44
Newspaper Articles and Editorials:
Seniority Bites, Roll Call......................... 47
Ford Helped Shape N. Ky., Cincinnati Enquirer...... 48
Senator Ford Announces He Will Retire; Fourth-Term
Kentucky Democrat Voices Distaste for Fund-
Raising Process, Washington Post................. 50
Pragmatism, Personal Skills Boosted Ford, Courier-
Journal.......................................... 51
Democrats Pay Tribute to Senator Ford; Vice
President Joins Thousands To Offer Praise,
Courier-Journal.................................. 53
BIOGRAPHY
Wendell H. Ford, Kentucky's senior U.S. Senator has
served in the Senate since December 28, 1974. Now in his
fourth Senate term, Ford holds the position of assistant
Democratic leader. First elected to the post in 1990, he
was reelected without opposition to serve in that capacity
for the 105th Congress.
Ford's career spans over a quarter of a century in
elective office. He began as a Kentucky State senator in
1965 and was elected Lieutenant Governor in 1967. Four
years later, he became the Commonwealth's 49th Governor.
Currently in his 24th year in the Senate, Ford has risen
to 12th out of 100 members in overall seniority and ranks
7th among Democrats in the 105th Congress. In 1992, he
made Kentucky history when he received the largest number
of votes ever recorded by a candidate for elected office
in the Commonwealth. Prior to his last election, he was
reelected by overwhelming margins in 1980 and 1986. On
March 14, 1998, Ford became Kentucky's longest serving
U.S. Senator, breaking the mark held by Alben W. Barkley.
Over the years, Ford has become known as a staunch
supporter of the economic interests of Kentucky and as a
national leader on energy, aviation, Federal-election
reform and other issues. He has shaped such legislation as
the National Voter Registration Act, the Federal Aviation
Administration Authorization Act of 1994, the Family and
Medical Leave Act, the National Energy Security Act of
1992, the Aviation Safety and Capacity Act of 1990, the
Airport and Airways Capacity Expansion Act of 1987, the
Age Discrimination in Employment Act Amendments of 1986,
the Tobacco Reform Act of 1985, the Energy Security Act of
1977 and the Surface Mining and Reclamation Act of the
same year.
He has taken the lead in many other legislative
initiatives, including a long and persistent drive to
adopt a 2-year budget as a tool to improve the Federal
Government's trouble-plagued budget-making process.
Ford is the ranking member of the Senate Committee on
Rules and Administration, where he has pressed for
campaign-finance reform, improved voter registration
procedures
and other measures to increase voter participation in
Federal elections. He has also worked for a number of
procedural changes to make the Senate a more efficient
body.
As past chairman of the Joint Committee on Printing,
Ford was successful in cutting millions of dollars from
the cost of government printing operations overseen by the
Committee. He also introduced the first-ever program for
the use of recycled printing paper by the Federal
Government, which purchases over 486,000 tons of paper
annually.
As a member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science
and Transportation, Ford is the ranking member of its
Aviation Subcommittee and serves on the subcommittees
dealing with consumer and communication issues. He has
also been instrumental in expanding airport-improvement
programs and has taken a leading role in addressing
airport noise policy, aging aircraft, pilot education and
other critical aviation issues.
Ford also serves on the Committee on Energy and Natural
Resources which deals with complex issues touching on all
aspects of energy policy. He is ranking member of the
Energy Research and Development subcommittee, and serves
on the Water and Power and Mineral Resources Development
and Production subcommittees. He has worked successfully
to increase Federal support for clean-coal technologies to
strengthen the coal industry, lessen the Nation's
dangerous dependence on foreign oil and protect the
environment. He spearheaded legislation to create a
government owned corporation for our Federal uranium-
enrichment enterprise which holds many important economic
and national-security implications for Kentucky and the
Nation.
Ford's recent accomplishments on behalf of Kentucky
include helping negotiate a buyout of tobacco surpluses
and putting in place a mechanism to decrease imported
tobacco. He gained Federal support for the Advanced
Science and Technology Commercialization Center and also
the International Trade Development Center at the
University of Kentucky. He also was successful in securing
authorization for Kentucky communities to band together to
float $370 million in community-improvement bond issues.
As a believer in strong defense, he has played a leading
role in protecting the National Guard and military
installations in the Commonwealth. He has also worked to
improve the transportation infrastructure in the
Commonwealth and open new export markets for Kentucky
products.
Long active in Democratic politics, Ford served as
chairman of the National Democratic Governors Caucus in
1973-74 and chaired the Democratic Senatorial Campaign
Committee from 1976 to 1982.
Ford is a believer in community service and was named
one of the three Outstanding Young Men in Kentucky. He
served as State president of the Kentucky Jaycees and
later as national Jaycees president and international vice
president. He has received the highest service awards from
both the March of Dimes and the Boy Scouts. He has been
honored by the U.S. National Guard Association, and has
also received special commendations from the Veterans of
Foreign Wars and the American Legion for his continuing
service to veterans and their dependents. In addition, he
has received special recognition for his continuing
support of Kentucky Educational Television, the Kentucky
Housing Corporation, the Kentucky Council of Area
Development Districts, the National Association of
Regional Councils and numerous other awards.
Ford was born in Thruston, KY, on September 8, 1924. He
graduated from Daviess County High School in Owensboro and
later attended the University of Kentucky. He served in
the U.S. Army in 1945-46 and in the Kentucky Army National
Guard for 13 years.
He is married to the former Jean Neel of Owensboro, and
they have two children and five grandchildren.
TRIBUTES
to
WENDELL H. FORD
Proceedings in the Senate
Friday, March 13, 1998.
Mr. GLENN. Mr. President, earlier today Senator Daschle,
our minority leader, made some remarks in tribute to the
longest-serving Senator from Kentucky to serve in the U.S.
Senate, and that is Wendell Ford, our minority whip.
I wanted to add my words of congratulations, in
recognition of this person that I believe to be one of our
most outstanding U.S. Senators. He is a very dedicated
public servant. He is also a good personal friend. He is
the senior Senator from Kentucky, Wendell Ford. I don't
think it is any accident that the people of Kentucky have
returned Wendell time after time, one election after
another, to where he now has served here almost a quarter
of a century.
Wendell, of course, is a very personable person. He
likes people. I think that was evidenced early in his
career when I believe he was national president of the
Jaycees. Later on, the people of Kentucky, after having
elected him Governor for a term, then elected him to the
U.S. Senate. He has served them well here over the last
nearly quarter of a century. I had the honor and privilege
to serve alongside him for all that time since he came to
the Senate. He and I were sworn in at about the same time,
and for the first few years we were here, by the luck of
the draw, we sat side by side in the Senate Chamber. That
was back in the time period when we had many all-night
sessions, and you got to know a person pretty well when
you sat and shared views with them during some of those
extended debates and lengthy all-night sessions.
Wendell is certainly known for his wit and humor. I
remember once we were sitting here about 3:30 or 4 o'clock
in the morning and a debate was going on. Wendell nudged
me and said, ``You know, John, the people back home think
we are the ones that won.'' I got a kick out of that. We
were going through some very troubled times in the U.S.
Senate at that time.
The Senate class of 1974 was one that I think was
remarkable not only because I happened to be one of those
people but because it came in on the tail-end of
Watergate. Watergate played an issue in that year's
election. But the people we elected that year included a
number of outstanding public officials who would continue
illustrious public careers, including John Culver, Robert
Morgan, Paul Laxalt, James Jake Garn, Gary Hart, and four
Senators still serving--myself and Senators Ford, Bumpers,
and Leahy. With the announced retirements that we have
already, Senator Leahy will be the only representative out
of that class of 1974 still remaining at the end of this
year.
The distinguished Senator from Kentucky, Senator Ford,
has served on the Senate Rules Committee for many years,
been chairman and ranking member. He became an expert on
disputed elections quite early on in his service, because
one of the first issues that that class of 1974 faced in
the Senate was the disputed election in New Hampshire
between John Durkin and Louis Wyman. In that case, the
Senate determined that a new election was necessary. So
Wendell got tossed into that maelstrom of disputed
elections very early on. I say that hasn't ended through
all these years either, because even during this last year
he worked toward a successful solution in the Louisiana
election dispute.
I can say without any contradiction that Senator Ford is
truly a Senator's Senator. He is rarely on the floor
making long speeches and posturing before the camera. That
is rare. In fact, he never does that. But his voice is
heard. His influence is heard on almost all issues,
because the Senate, his fellow Senators on the Democratic
side, sought at this time to elect him as our whip, our
No. 2 person in the hierarchy of leadership in the Senate.
I think Senator Ford would appreciate the fact, coming
from Kentucky--and I have heard him make comments about
the horses, and all of his attention to the horses in
Kentucky, and the big business that is in Kentucky, and
his attention to things like the Kentucky Derby and so on.
But he would appreciate it that we know him as a
``workhorse,'' not just as a show horse, here in the U.S.
Senate. He is always working behind the scenes for
whatever the interests are of the party or his interests
for Kentucky. And he has provided strong leadership in his
ability as a negotiator and his talents for finding
compromise that have served both parties and the Nation
extraordinarily well.
He has been in the forefront of many issues during his
career in the Senate, including such more recent things in
just the last few years as motor-voter legislation, trying
to make sure that every person in this country has a
maximum opportunity to exercise the right to vote.
Lobbying reform and campaign finance reform have been of
particular interest in recent years.
Of course, Kentucky is first. I just wish I could say
that I have been as tireless an advocate for Ohio as he
has been for Kentucky, because even when we have disagreed
on things, we find a way to work them out. Wendell
represents Kentucky and the interests of the people of
Kentucky first. That comes out all the time. He and I have
worked together on matters of mutual interest, including
the regional airport in Cincinnati and Department of
Energy facilities that are both in Kentucky and in Ohio.
As I mentioned earlier today, Senator Ford's service in
the Senate will surpass the length of surface of Alben
Barkley, who had previously been the longest-serving
Senator from Kentucky. Senator Ford will have served
longer than any other Kentuckian in the Senate, including
such statesmen as Henry Clay, John Breckenridge, Happy
Chandler, and John Sherman Cooper.
I think Wendell Ford adds an illustrious career that
matches any of those other people the great State of
Kentucky has sent to the Senate through the years. With
Wendell, you always know where you stand, but he also
knows how to disagree without being disagreeable at the
same time.
He is known for his wit, humor, and intense discussions.
He knows how to break the tension with a little humor, a
joke, or something that applies.
I would be remiss if I didn't mention one other thing,
and that is his dedication to his family--Jean, his wife,
and his children and grandchildren. I remember last
August, when other Senators were talking about what trips
they were planning, and I asked Wendell if he was planning
to travel, he said, ``Yep; I'm going to travel to Kentucky
to go fishing with the grandchildren.'' That is exactly
what he did, and I'm sure the grandchildren were the
better off for it.
So I'm pleased to join my colleagues in recognition of
the long service of Senator Wendell Ford. He has been a
very valued colleague and a personal friend to me in the
Senate. His company will truly be one of the things I will
miss next year, and I think, most of all, the people of
Kentucky are going to miss the kind of leadership he has
provided. We are here today not to talk about that, but to
recognize that today marks the day when he becomes the
longest-serving Senator to ever serve from the State of
Kentucky. I want to recognize him for that.
Mr. DASCHLE. Mr. President, I would like to call to the
Senate's attention an impressive milestone that a Member
of this body will reach this weekend. On Saturday the
senior Senator from Kentucky, my friend and Democratic
whip, Wendell Ford, will have served the State of Kentucky
in the Senate for the 8,478th day. He will become the
longest-serving Senator in Kentucky history.
While I suspect that Senator Ford might be more
concerned this weekend about how his beloved Kentucky
Wildcats will fare in the NCAA basketball tournament than
about achieving any personal record, I hope he will allow
me a few minutes to recognize this tremendous achievement.
It gives me great personal satisfaction to see Senator
Ford cap his distinguished Senate career by reaching this
milestone. It is also appropriate that Senator Ford does
so by surpassing the length of service of another great
Senator from Kentucky, the former Democratic leader and
then Vice President of the United States, Alben Barkley.
Wendell Ford began his Senate service back in December
1974. In 23-plus years, he has made his mark in the Senate
in an extraordinary number of ways: as a tenacious fighter
for the people of Kentucky, as a skilled parliamentarian
and orator, as a leader and faithful soldier of his party,
and as a genuinely warm, funny, and down-to-earth human
being.
Perhaps the Almanac of American Politics best described
his political tenacity when it said that Senator Ford's
``fierce determination to champion Kentuckians' interests
seems rooted in a sense that they are little guys who are
victims or targets of big selfish guys elsewhere--that
they are as humble as Ford's own economic background.''
Indeed, anyone who has engaged Senator Ford in the
legislative arena knows that he is deeply rooted in the
Kentucky soil from which he sprang.
He has been a thoroughly tireless defender of Kentucky's
working families, from 60,000 tobacco growers on small
farms across the State to the coal miners in Appalachia's
hills and hollows. Wendell Ford surely deserves one of the
highest compliments one can give a Senator: that he has
never forgotten where he came from.
Though I can think of no one more tenacious in defense
of his constituents, I can also think of no Senator more
loyal to his party, two traits that are sometimes
difficult to reconcile.
Wendell Ford has served his party in a variety of ways:
as chairman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign
Committee; as chairman and ranking member of the Senate
Rules Committee; as chairman and ranking member of the
Commerce Subcommittee on Aviation; and, since 1991,
assistant Senate Democratic leader and whip.
His friendship and counsel to me during my tenure as
Senate Democratic leader have been invaluable. I could not
imagine learning the many facets of this job without
Senator Ford at my side. Wendell Ford represents the best
of the Senate's old school. He is someone who reveres the
traditions and rules that are the foundation of the
Senate. He is also someone who values the courtesy, humor,
and personal bonds that give the Senate its life and its
sense of common purpose.
Mr. President, the State of Kentucky has sent a number
of talented men to this Chamber. Men like Albert ``Happy''
Chandler, Earle C. Clements, John Sherman Cooper, and
certainly the legendary Henry Clay come to mind. It is a
high honor that Wendell Ford stands next to these great
Kentuckians in service to their State. But it is perhaps
most appropriate that Senator Ford surpassed the tenure of
former Senator Alben Barkley. Like Senator Ford, Alben
Barkley had roots in the soil, born on a small tobacco
farm in Kentucky.
Like Senator Ford, Alben Barkley served his State and
country in a range of positions, from county judge, to
Congressman, Senator, then Vice President of the United
States. And like Senator Ford, he was in the Senate
leadership in both the majority and minority, serving as
leader in both capacities.
Tested by the loss of the Senate majority in the mid-
1940's, Senator Barkley turned adversity to his advantage.
In 1948, a poll of journalists in Colliers magazine
recognized minority leader Barkley as the most effective
Member of the Senate. This was remarkable, since 10 years
earlier, a similar poll had left him completely off the
list of the 10 most effective Members even though he was
majority leader.
In recognition of his effectiveness, one journalist
commented that ``under conditions that would have caused a
less determined man to walk out and rest, he continued to
work for his country through his party.'' Another said
that ``by his wisdom, humor, and moderation, plus his
devotion to the system, he has strengthened the concept of
party responsibility.'' More appropriate words could not
be spoken about Senator Ford, either.
We can only hope that Senator Ford may also look to one
other example set by Alben Barkley. Senator Barkley became
Vice President Barkley in 1948. He served in that capacity
for one term. Not content to accept a permanent retirement
after leaving the Vice Presidency, however, Barkley ran
again for the Senate in 1954 and won, returning to his
beloved Senate. Maybe Senator Ford will keep that in the
back of his mind.
But taking Senator Ford at his word--that he will be
leaving the Senate for good at the end of this year--his
staff and I have tried to settle on a fitting tribute to
the longest-serving Senator in Kentucky history. A tribute
that will symbolize for every Kentuckian the enduring
commitment to their well being that Wendell Ford has
shown.
Today I am introducing a bill to name the school under
construction in Fort Campbell, KY, the ``Wendell H. Ford
Education Center.'' The Wendell H. Ford Education Center
will assume its name the day Senator Ford leaves the
Senate. I hope the students who enter its halls will fully
appreciate the contributions of Wendell H. Ford and the
remarkable way in which he has led his colleagues, his
State, and his country in the difficult challenges we have
faced in the past 25 years.
Like many in Kentucky, many in this Chamber are familiar
with one of Senator Ford's trademark greetings, ``How are
all you lucky people doing?'' This is sometimes
abbreviated to simply, ``Hey, Lucky!'' Truly, all of us
who have served with Senator Ford have been extremely
lucky. He will be missed by a lot of people around here
when he retires at the end of this Congress.
But today, we all should all take a moment to
congratulate and thank Senator Wendell Ford on his record-
breaking service to the people of Kentucky, the U.S.
Senate, and the country.
Monday, March 16, 1998.
Mr. BYRD. Mr. President, the Commonwealth of Kentucky
has provided the U.S. Senate with some of its finer
Members. Take John Breckinridge, who in the early 1800's
became his party's most effective spokesman and
legislative leader during his first term in the Senate,
and who would doubtless have achieved further greatness
had he not succumbed to typhus fever at the age of 46.
Despite this early death, Breckinridge did achieve a form
of posthumous success when his son, John C. Breckinridge
was elected first Senator and then vice-President. (It
was, incidentally, the younger Breckinridge who, in 1859,
provided such a moving tribute to the ``consecrated
character'' of the old Senate Chamber, before leading the
Senators in procession to their new, and current home.)
Or consider the great Henry Clay, who promoted the
American system, whose powerful oratory and forceful
personality made him one of the dominant figures during
the Senate's golden age of the 1830's, 1840's and 1850's.
And what of Alben Barkley, majority leader during the
1940's, whose booming baritone and vast repertoire of
humorous anecdotes made him one of the more popular
Senators of his time?
Not to mention John Sherman Cooper, who sat right here
on the floor during the year that we served together. John
Sherman Cooper was a former Ambassador to India. I first
met him in 1955, at which time I was a Member of the House
of Representatives and was traveling with a subcommittee
of the House Foreign Affairs Committee to the Pacific and
the Far East. On that occasion we traveled 68 days. We
went around the world in an old constellation. That would
have been called a ``junket'' in these times. John Sherman
Cooper was Ambassador to India when I and my House
colleagues stopped there for a short time. John Sherman
Cooper also played an outspoken role in the debates on the
war in Vietnam. The list of outstanding Senators from
Kentucky is a long list indeed.
Mr. President, today Kentucky has another native son of
whom it can be equally proud. That man is Wendell Ford,
who on Saturday last, March 14, became the longest serving
Kentuckian in the history of the State.
It seems only fitting that Senator Ford should hold this
record, for few other politicians have served the great
Commonwealth of Kentucky as ably or as successfully as has
Wendell Ford. After service in World War II, Senator Ford
returned to his home State and in short order became a
State Senator, then a Lieutenant Governor, then Governor,
before his election to the Senate in 1974.
When Wendell Ford came to the U.S. Senate, I was the
majority whip. Since that date in 1974, Senator Ford has
earned acclaim as a smart and savvy legislator,
particularly during his excellent chairmanship of the
Rules Committee from 1986 to 1994. I count it a great
privilege and honor and a pleasure to have served on the
Rules Committee during those years of Wendell Ford's
chairmanship. He did well. He was a mighty protector of
the rules of the Senate and is one of the best chairman of
any committee on which I have served. Senator Ford has
also been prominent in the party leadership. He chaired
the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee from 1976 to
1982 and he has served with distinction as party whip
since 1990.
As a Senator, Wendell Ford has endeared himself to
colleagues and staffers alike with his warm personality
and his vibrant sense of humor. He has also distinguished
himself as a devoted and vigilant defender of the
interests of his native Kentuckians. I should say of all
Kentuckians, native or otherwise. I have always felt a
kinship with Kentucky, which borders my own mountain
State. I have felt a kinship with the people of eastern
Kentucky, whose rugged, mountainous terrain resembles that
of West Virginia. And, as a fellow U.S. Senator
representing another less well-off State whose needs have
often been overlooked for too long, I have the utmost
respect and admiration for Senator Wendell Ford's
courageous and tenacious efforts to serve the interests of
his State and its noble people. In this regard, Senator
Ford may be seen as an heir to the legacy of Henry Clay,
whose ``American system'' favored Federal spending on
communications, transportation and other internal
improvements. As a matter of fact, the Old Cumberland
Road, as it is sometimes referred to, the Old National
Road, began at Cumberland, MD, and went westward to
Wheeling, WV, and on to Vandalia, IL. The work on that
road began in 1811, and by the year 1838 the Federal
Government had invested the astounding sum of $3 million
in that highway.
That was the highway which many settlers traveling from
the east and going to the west, took, as they made their
way to the Ohio River. I should say that Henry Clay was
one of the foremost supporters of appropriations for the
Old Cumberland Road, and we who live in the mountainous
terrain of West Virginia, and particularly in the northern
part of the State, have not forgotten that nor shall we
forget it. Few Senators have been as dedicated to serving
the needs of their constituents as the able senior Senator
from Kentucky, and I salute him for that.
At the same time, Senator Ford has also done much good
work on a national level. As a member of the Commerce
Committee, Senator Ford has become a national leader on
aviation issues, a leader who played key roles in shaping
the 1994 Federal Aviation Administration Authorization Act
and the 1987 Airport and Airways Capacity Expansion Act.
On the Energy Committee, Senator Wendell Ford has worked
tirelessly to lessen our country's dependence on foreign
oil and to support clean, environmentally friendly coal
technologies. And whether fighting for campaign finance
reform or sponsoring the motor voter bill, Senator Ford
has been a valiant soldier in the ongoing struggle to make
this country's political system as fair, as open, and as
representative as possible.
Mr. President, the same words spoken by Senator Clay in
his farewell address to the Senate 156 years ago could
just as well be attributed to Senator Ford's career in the
Senate. Senator Henry Clay declared in part:
* * * that I have been actuated by no personal motives--
that I have sought no personal aggrandizement--no
promotion from the advocacy of those various measures on
which I have been called to act--that I have had an eye, a
single eye, a heart, a single heart, ever devoted to what
appeared to be the best interests of the country.
Senator Ford's good work has not gone unappreciated by
his constituents. The host of State records that he holds
testifies to his popularity with Kentuckians. After all,
Senator Ford was the first candidate to carry all 120
countries against opposition and, he did this in 1980. In
1992, he won the highest number of votes cast for any
State candidate. And in 1996, he surpassed Alben Barkley's
record of having the longest consecutive service of any
Kentucky Senator. Now, with this latest accomplishment to
his name, there can be no doubting that Senator Ford's
position is as one of the most successful and popular
politicians in the State's history.
Mr. President, although Senator Ford has announced that
he will not stand for reelection this fall, he may rest
assured as he prepares to leave this Chamber that his
contributions and accomplishments have earned him a place
in the Senate's and Kentucky's honor rolls. I am sure that
I can speak for all of my colleagues when I say that
Senator Ford will be sorely missed. His combination of
personal charm and legislative skill is a rare one, and
whoever fills his seat will have much to live up to.
My wife, Erma, and I shall regret to see him and his
lovely wife go.
Wendell Ford in his service here and in his service to
the people of Kentucky, reminds me of a bit of verse by
John G. Holland, entitled ``God Give Us Men'':
God give us men!
A time like this demands strong minds,
great hearts, true faith, and ready hands.
Men whom the lust of office does not kill;
Men whom the spoils of office cannot buy;
Men who possess opinions and a will;
Men who have honor; men who will not lie.
Men who can stand before a demagogue
And brave his treacherous flatteries without winking.
Tall men, sun-crowned;
Who live above the fog,
In public duty and in private thinking.
For while the rabble with its thumbworn creeds,
It's large professions and its little deeds,
mingles in selfish strife,
Lo! Freedom weeps!
Wrong rules the land and waiting justice sleeps.
God give us men!
Men who serve not for selfish booty;
But real men, courageous, who flinch not at duty.
Men of dependable character;
Men of sterling worth;
Then wrongs will be redressed, and right will
rule the earth.
God Give us Men!
Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, today marks another
milestone in the extraordinarily successful tenure of my
friend and colleague from Kentucky, Wendell Ford. He
becomes the longest serving Senator in Kentucky history. I
remember well when Senator Ford got his start; I was in
law school at the University of Kentucky. I remember
reading a story about a State senate primary in Owensboro,
KY, in which the Senate majority leader of the Kentucky
State senate was upset in the primary by an impressive
young man named Wendell Ford, who had been involved in
politics some time and had been in fact national president
of the Jaycees.
Then in my senior year in law school, I remember this
young State senator, who obviously didn't want to stay in
the State senate too long, running for Lieutenant Governor
and defeating the attorney general of Kentucky in that
primary.
Then that November, an unusual thing happened in
Kentucky--they elected a Republican Governor. It has not
happened since. It is a fairly rare occurrence in our
State. But State Senator Wendell Ford was elected
Lieutenant Governor, so he beat one of those rare
Republican tides in our State.
Then, as if that were not enough, 4 years later
everybody in Kentucky thought that former Governor Bert
Combs, who subsequently had a distinguished career as a
U.S. court of appeals judge, was a lead pipe cinch to be
the next Governor of Kentucky and at the very least to win
the Democratic primary. But Lieutenant Governor Wendell
Ford defeated, against everybody's expectations, former
Governor Combs in the primary, and the rest is, as they
say, history.
He came to the Senate, beating a Republican incumbent in
1974, and is into the final days of his fourth term. He
has served Kentucky long and well, having had an
extraordinarily successful public career. I join with all
of my colleagues in congratulating him for his not only
lengthy service but his excellent service on behalf of the
Commonwealth of Kentucky and the people of the United
States.
Friday, September 25, 1998.
Mr. STEVENS. Mr. President, this is the Wendell Ford
National Air Transportation System Improvement Act, as
Chairman McCain just pointed out.
I see my good friend from Kentucky is here. I think that
this is an act that should be named after the Senator from
Kentucky because of his long service on the Commerce
Committee and particularly on the Aviation Subcommittee.
Our Nation has come through a very interesting period
during the time that Wendell Ford has been Senator from
Kentucky--a total revolution in aviation and a
concentration on safety and improvement of our airway
system.
Wendell Ford has been a leader in that effort. This bill
signifies the totality of what he has done for the
aviation community.
I come to the floor today, because, as I believe most
Members of the Senate know, Alaska is completely dependent
upon air transportation.
Over 70 percent of our communities can only be reached
by air year-round. We believe in the safety of that
system.
I have been pleased to have the honor to be able to work
with the Senator from Kentucky on a whole series of
matters dealing with operations, with safety, and with the
maintenance of the airways system, and in particularly
with the development of air transportation facilities on
the ground.
As you go throughout this country and go to these major
new terminals, you should think of Wendell Ford, because
he has led us, through the period when he was chairman of
the Aviation Subcommittee, and during the period when he
has been ranking member of that subcommittee, to an
understanding of what is necessary to keep the lead that
we have as a Nation in aviation.
I come to the floor to thank my good friend for all he
as done for us and for the Nation, but particularly to
thank him on behalf of all of us in Alaska who rely so
much on this system that he has improved and made more
safe.
Thank you, Mr. President.
Mr. McCAIN. Mr. President, I join Senator Ford in
thanking the staff for their contributions: John Raidt,
Ann Choiniere, Michael Reynolds, Lloyd Ator, Scott
Verstandig, Brad Sabala, and Bill Winter on the Commerce
Committee staff; Ivan Schlager, Sam Whitehorn, Jim Drewry,
and Becky Kojm with Senator Hollings' staff; Brett Hale
and Jeanne Bumpus with Senator Gorton; and David Regan
with Senator Ford. Charles Chambers and Tom Zoeller, who
are no longer Senate staffers, made efforts in making this
legislation happen. Also, Mr. President, because of the
scope associated with this bill, we have negotiated with
literally every Senator and their staff members on various
provisions of this bill, and I thank all of them, also.
But obviously, Mr. President, I wish to express again my
deep and profound appreciation to the Senator from
Kentucky for his efforts on this legislation and many,
many other aviation bills that have moved through the
Senate during my time here. I think it is a very small
token that the bill before us is named for him. He
deserves that recognition and much, much more.
Mr. President, Senator Ford has been a Member of the
U.S. Senate for 24 years. That is a long time, even in the
history of the U.S. Senate. I have had the privilege of
working with him for 12. When I first came to the Commerce
Committee 12 years ago, I spent a lot of time with Senator
Ford then and in the intervening years, especially on
aviation issues, because he is regarded, perhaps, as the
most knowledgeable Member of the U.S. Senate on those
issues.
Senator Ford is also known--as I think, perhaps, I may
be to some extent--as a person who fights fiercely for the
principles that he believes in, for what he believes is
right as God gave him the right to see it. And he also is
a strong advocate for his party. I noted, while looking at
his biography this morning--I was scanning it--not only is
he a former Governor, but for 6 years he was the chairman
of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. I know
that there are many times when he and his colleagues yearn
for those golden days of yesteryear.
Mr. FORD. No, we lost then.
Mr. McCAIN. Did you? But Senator Ford has obviously
served his party with distinction as well. Around this
place you have the opportunity of working with your
colleagues on a variety of issues, but I do not believe
that I have observed anyone as effective, as single-
minded, and as dedicated as the Senator from Kentucky.
Yes, we have had fierce differences of opinion which have
always been resolved at the end of the day with a smile
and a handshake. I have learned from those encounters. I
believe one of the great learning experiences of my life
was in 1990 when Senator Ford was responsible for a
massive restructuring of the aviation system in America.
The impact of that will be felt well into the next
century. I watched him guide that legislation through all
the rocks and shoals of the process around here, and it
emerged as a landmark piece of legislation.
I am proud to have learned from him. I am proud to have
worked with him and to be associated with him on a broad
variety of various areas. Most of all, I will be pleased
many years from now to be able to call him my friend. So I
thank him. I look forward to observing that same fierce
determination as we do battle with the folks on the other
side, to try to maintain this legislation intact as it has
been reported out through the Senate.
As has often been observed, the Senator from Kentucky is
not dying, he is just leaving the Senate.
Mr. FORD. Thanks.
Mr. McCAIN. We will, for many, many years in the future,
work with the Senator from Kentucky and maintain our close
relationships with him. I know I speak for every Member on
my side of the aisle when I say that.
Mr. DORGAN. Mr. President, let me add my words of
admiration for the work done by Senator Ford. He has been
an important part of the Senate for many years and has
done some very important things for his country and the
Senate will miss very much the service that he has
offered. He is in the leadership, has been for many years
on the Democratic side of the aisle. But he is fiercely
independent. He is smart. He is tough, and he has all the
qualities that you look for in a good legislator. He will,
in my judgment, for many, many years be remembered as one
of the really outstanding legislators in this body, and I
feel very fortunate to have been able to serve with him. I
just wanted to add those words to the words offered by the
Senator from Arizona.
Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, I rise to recognize the
importance of today's passage of the Federal Aviation
Administration Reauthorization bill. Today is a great day
for rural America's air passengers. This legislation, now
known as the Wendell H. Ford National Air Transportation
System Improvement Act of 1998, will bring much needed air
service to underserved communities throughout the Nation.
It will grant billions of dollars in Federal funds to our
Nation's small airports for upgrades, through the Airport
Improvements Program (AIP).
Additionally, Senator McCain, chairman of the Committee
on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, is to be
commended for his superb leadership on this complex and
contentious measure. Together with Senator Ford, their
joint efforts moved this bill through the committee and to
the Senate floor in such a manner that the amendment
process went smoothly.
It is only fitting that this must-pass legislation be
named after such a worthy Senator. Wendell Ford has spent
nearly 24 years as a Member of this body. For the last 10
years, I have enjoyed working with Senator Ford on a
variety of issues within the jurisdiction of the Senate
Commerce Committee. Through his leadership on this
legislation, Senator Ford has proven himself as a champion
of rural aviation issues. The Senate will certainly miss
his guidance and insight. Likewise, the Senate will miss
his wry, biting humor.
Friday, October 9, 1998.
Mr. DASCHLE. Mr. President, as the majority leader
noted, this is a bittersweet time for many of us. We bid
colleagues farewell and we recall the times we have had
together. In some cases, we have worked together and
shared friendships for many years.
I have been asked to do something somewhat unusual
tonight. I have been asked by the staff of our
distinguished Senator from Kentucky, my dear friend,
Senator Ford, to read a letter they have composed to him
for the congressional Record.
I am delighted that Senator Ford is on the floor to hear
this personally.
So, as requested, I will read the letter, which was
written by his staff. I know my own staff shares these
feelings for Senator Ford. The letter is dated October 9,
1998.
October 9, 1998.
Dear Senator Ford: After several weeks of tributes,
receptions, dinners and other special events in your
honor, we're sure that a man of your humble nature is
probably ready to have people quit making a fuss and let
you leave town as unnoticed and as low-key as possible.
However, these weeks have given us the opportunity to
hear others tell you what we've also known all along: your
legacy of serving our State, your labor of love on behalf
of all Americans, and the unfailing kindness you've shown
during your time in the U.S. Senate will never be
forgotten.
On top of just being a plain `ole good boss, you've also
been a mentor, a teacher, and someone we could always look
up to for guidance and support, no matter the situation.
But most importantly, you've been a friend to all of us.
You've given us the opportunity on a daily basis to
personally witness the countless hours of hard work you
put in on behalf of Kentuckians. We've seen you stay into
the early morning hours here in the Senate during an all-
night session, and then rush to catch an early morning
plane for a commitment back home. We've seen you toil late
into the night working on a conference committee, only to
have you beat us into work the next morning with a smile
and joke for everyone.
These are some of the things your Kentucky constituents
may never have known. But at the same time, we know
they've benefited greatly from your accomplishments on
their behalf and your never-ending desire to see that all
Kentuckians, no matter their station, have the tools and
opportunities to lead successful and productive lives.
As we've heard you say many times, it's been a good run.
And we could not let today pass without letting you know
how much it's meant for us to have had the opportunity to
work with you, to learn from you, and have you as our
favorite Senator.
Sincerely,
Your Staff.
Mr. THURMOND. Mr. President, Kentucky is famous for many
things, including its bourbon and the Derby, but what I
have come to associate most with the ``Bluegrass State''
over the past 24 years is Senator Wendell Ford, who I
regret to note is leaving the Senate at the end of the
105th Congress.
Senator Ford is a man with a deep and unwavering
commitment to public service. He served in the U.S. Army
during World War II and continued his military service as
a member of the Kentucky National Guard. He has held
elected office at both the State and Federal levels,
holding the titles of State senator and Governor before
being elected to the U.S. Senate in 1974.
Each of us understands that our primary job as Senators
is to make the law, but many of us also believe that we
should use our offices to help the people of our States.
This is a sentiment that Senator Ford and I share, and
over the years, my friend from Kentucky has worked
tirelessly to help his State develop and prosper. While
Kentucky, like South Carolina, is still a largely rural
State, thanks in no small part to the efforts of Wendell
Ford, the people of Kentucky are enjoying opportunities
and economic growth that has been substantial.
During his time in Washington, Senator Ford has held a
number of key positions, both in the Senate and in
political organizations. His leadership roles as an
assistant leader and a former committee chairman stand as
testament to both his abilities and the regard in which he
is held by his peers.
I am certain that Senator Ford did not easily come to
the decision to retire, but I am certain that he and his
lovely wife Jean are looking forward to their new life. I
wish both of them health, happiness and success in
whatever endeavor they undertake.
Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, when this Congress adjourns
the Senate will lose its distinguished minority whip, the
senior Senator from Kentucky, Wendell H. Ford. Wendell
Ford has earned a reputation as the Senate's leader on
aviation matters, and has long been one of the most
influential Members of the Senate on energy and election
reform issues. He has battled for campaign finance reform
legislation and led the fight for the ``motor voter'' bill
which has expanded voter registration across the country.
There is no Member of the Senate more well-liked by his
colleagues than Wendell Ford. However, I have often
thought that one of the true measures of a Senator is how
she or he relates to staff members, workers and other
visitors to our Nation's capital. Wendell Ford is among
the most beloved.
I think back to one particular incident. A member of my
staff had brought his 5-year old son to work for the day.
The staff member, needing to attend an important meeting,
left his son to play with paper, crayons and stapler,
under the supervision of several co-workers. He returned
to find his son no longer at the desk where he had been
left. A quick search followed. The young boy was found
just outside the office in the Senate hallway where he had
stopped Senator Wendell Ford and attempted to sell him a
book (artful pages of crayon scribbles, stapled together)
for a nickel. Senator Ford was in the act of earnestly
requesting two and trying to convince the young man to
accept a dime as superior to the requested nickel.
Last March, Wendell Ford became the longest serving
Senator from Kentucky in the history of the U.S. Senate
when he surpassed another beloved Kentuckian, Alben
Barkley.
Wendell Ford is unsurpassed in many things: He is
unsurpassed in his love of family, love of country and
love of the U.S. Senate. He is unsurpassed in his efforts
to be helpful to new Members. How many times he has set
aside personal needs or took the time to help newcomers to
this body to weather the self doubts or maneuver through
the complex procedures.
Wendell Ford is unsurpassed in his commitment to the
hard working families whom are the backbone of this Nation
and in his passion for the ``little guy''.
Mr. President, to me, the story I told of the little boy
in the Senate hall characterizes Wendell Ford. Wendell is
a genuine, kind, straight-forward and thoughtful man as
well as an effective national leader. All of us in the
U.S. Senate and our families will miss the inimitable
Wendell Ford and his wife, Jean.
Saturday, October 10, 1998.
Mr. NICKLES. Mr. President, I have given accolades to a
couple of my colleagues for their service in the Senate,
including Senator Bumpers. I see Senator Ford is on the
floor. I have had the pleasure of serving with Senator
Ford for 18 years on the Energy Committee. We worked
together on a lot of things. And, in my opinion, some of
the most significant legislation that passed Congress, in
my tenure, we have worked together on.
One was the Natural Gas Deregulation Act that President
Bush signed after about 6 years of negotiations and hard
work, but probably one of the most difficult pieces of
legislation that we have passed.
And if you go back on the history of natural gas
regulation and deregulation, it was a very, very difficult
task. It was a pleasure for me to work with Senator Ford
in that respect. We worked together on other issues as
well.
I compliment him for his 24 years of service in the
Senate. Anyone that spends almost a quarter of a century
of service in the Senate, I think, is to be complimented.
I compliment him for his leadership and for his
representation of the people of Kentucky. Again, it was a
pleasure and honor for me to serve with him. I compliment
him and wish him every best wish as he returns to his
State of Kentucky.
Mr. LAUTENBERG. Mr. President I rise today to pay
tribute to our esteemed colleague from Kentucky, the
minority whip, Senator Wendell H. Ford. I wish him well.
All of us know that we have not heard the last from this
dedicated and effective public servant.
His retirement from the Senate will end a formal career
of public service to the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the
United States which has lasted over three decades. After
first serving in the Kentucky Senate, he was elected
Lieutenant Governor in 1967 and then Governor of Kentucky
in 1971. In 1974, he was elected to serve in the U.S.
Senate.
Mr. President, in the history of this body, few Senators
have protected the interests of his or her State as
doggedly as Wendell Ford.
Whether the issue was aviation, tobacco,
telecommunications or farm legislation, Senator Ford has
always put the people of Kentucky first. And even though
we have disagreed on a key issue or two, I know that he is
guided by what he believes is best for the people of his
State.
As the senior Senator from Kentucky put it himself: ``If
it ain't good for Kentucky, it ain't good for Wendell
Ford.''
And the people of Kentucky have shown their deep
appreciation to Senator Ford in return. In 1992, he
received the largest number of votes ever recorded by a
candidate for elected office in the Commonwealth.
In March of this year, he became the longest serving
U.S. Senator from Kentucky in history.
Mr. President, although New Jersey and Kentucky are very
different States, Senator Ford and I share many things in
common. First of all, our vintage--we were born in the
same year. We both fought for our country in World War II.
We both ran businesses before we entered public life.
These common experiences helped make Wendell Ford an
instant friend and mentor to me when I arrived in the
Senate. His extensive knowledge and public service
experience has made him an invaluable asset to our caucus'
leadership.
And he has been quite a leader, now as minority whip,
first as chairman and then ranking member of the Rules
Committee, and in prior years, the chairman of the
Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee.
Mr. President, Senator Ford has left a formidable legacy
to the Nation as a whole, in addition to his legendary
status in Kentucky. He was the chief sponsor of the
National Voter Registration Act, also known as the ``motor
voter'' law.
This law helps ensure that more of our citizens are
officially registered to participate in our democracy. He
was also instrumental in the enactment of the Family and
Medical Leave Act, the Age Discrimination in Employment
Act Amendments of 1986, and many other landmark aviation
and energy laws.
The senior Senator from Kentucky will be greatly missed
here in the U.S. Senate. We will miss his leadership, his
experience and also his great wit. But our personal loss
will be the Commonwealth of Kentucky's gain.
I wish him, his wife Jean, their children and
grandchildren Godspeed as he returns to Owensboro.
Mr. BURNS. Mr. President, five Senators will move on at
the closing of this session of the 105th Congress. And
they are Senators that have, with the exception of one,
been here ever since I joined this body back in 1989.
Dirk Kempthorne from Idaho was elected after I was. And
now after one term he has elected to go back to his home
State of Idaho.
It seems like it becomes more and more difficult, as
time goes by, to attract men and women to public service,
and especially to public service when there are elections.
He brought a certain quality to this Senate. On his work
on the Environment and Public Works Committee, he was
sensitive to the environment and all the public
infrastructure that we enjoy across this country. It just
seemed to fit, because he had come here after being the
mayor of Boise, ID. And his very first objective was to
tackle this business of unfunded mandates. He took that
issue on and provided the leadership, and finally we
passed a law that unfunded mandates must be adhered to
whenever we tell local government, State government that
it is going to take some of your money to comply with the
laws as passed by the Federal Government.
He, like me, had come out of local government. He knew
the stresses and the pains of city councilmen and mayors
and county commissioners every time they struggle with
their budget in order to provide the services for their
people, when it comes to schools and roads and public
safety--all the demands that we enjoy down to our
neighborhoods.
We shall miss him in this body.
To my friend, John Glenn of Ohio, who has already made
his mark in history that shall live forever, he has left
his tracks in this body. And not many know--and maybe not
even him--but I was a lowly corporal in the U.S. Marine
Corps when he was flying in the Marine Corps. So my memory
of John Glenn goes back more than 40 years to El Toro
Marine Corps Air Station in Santa Anna, CA.
As he goes into space again at the end of this month, we
wish him Godspeed. He gave this country pride as he lifted
off and became the first American to orbit the Earth. And
he carried with him all of the wishes of the American
people.
To Dan Coats of Indiana, a classmate, we came to this
body together in 1989. Our routes were a little different,
but yet almost the same--he coming from the House of
Representatives and me coming from local government.
He is a living example of a person dedicated to public
service. But it never affected his solid core values. He
has not changed one iota since I first met him back in
1989.
The other principal is on the floor today. It is Wendell
Ford of Kentucky. I was fortunate to serve on two of the
most fascinating and hard-working committees in the U.S.
Senate with Senator Ford: the Commerce Committee and the
Energy Committee. Those committees, folks, touch every
life in America every day.
We flip on our lights at home or in our businesses. We
pick up the telephone, listen to our radio, watch our
televisions, move ourselves from point A to point B, no
matter what the mode--whether it is auto, train or plane.
Yes, all of the great scientific advances this country has
made, and research and the improvement of everyday life
and, yes, even our venture into space comes under the
auspices of the Commerce, Science and Transportation
Committee and the Energy Committee. Those two committees
play such a major role in the everyday workings of
America.
Wendell Ford was one great champion and one of the true
principals in formulating policies that we enjoy today. He
played a major role in each and every one of them.
Again, it was my good fortune to work with Senator
Bumpers on two committees: the Small Business Committee
and the Energy Committee. There is no one in this body
that has been more true to his deeply held beliefs than
Senator Bumpers. Our views did not always mesh--and that
is true with Senator Ford. It was their wisdom and the way
they dealt with their fellow Senators that we worked our
way through difficult issues and hard times with a sense
of humor. I always say if you come from Arkansas you have
to have a pretty good sense of humor. My roots go back to
Missouri; I know we had to develop humor very early.
Nonetheless, it was the integrity and the honesty that
allowed us to settle our differences, even though we were
180 degrees off plumb.
I think I have taken from them much more than I have
given back to them. This body has gained more than it can
repay. This Nation is a better Nation for all of them
serving in the U.S. Senate.
In our country we don't say goodbye, we just say so
long. But we say so long to these Senators from our
everyday activities on the floor of the U.S. Senate. I am
sure our trails will cross many times in the future.
Should they not, I will be the most disappointed of all.
Mr. BYRD. Mr. President, over the next few days, as the
Senate concludes its legislative business, one of the
finest individuals it has been my privilege to know will
bring to a close yet another chapter in what has been, by
any measure, an extraordinary public service career. When
that time comes--when the senior Senator from the
Commonwealth of Kentucky walks out of this Chamber for the
last time as a U.S. Senator--this institution, and all who
serve in it, will feel a great and lasting loss.
When Wendell Ford came to this body on December 28,
1974, thus becoming the 1,685th individual to have served
in the Senate, he did so not as a political neophyte but
as an accomplished entrepreneur and a dedicated and
seasoned public servant. Following service in World War
II, our friend from Kentucky returned to his home State
and launched a successful insurance business. But it was
the call of public service, the chance to reach out and
help all of his fellow Kentuckians, that meant the most to
this young executive.
And, so, in 1964, Wendell Ford began what was to become
a successful political career by winning election to the
Kentucky State senate. Two years later, in 1966, he
successfully ran for the position of Lieutenant Governor,
and, in 1970, against all odds, he became Kentucky's
Governor, a position from which he served with distinction
as the chairman of the National Democratic Governors
Caucus.
Mr. President, despite his selfless service within his
State, it is, of course, the near quarter-century he has
spent here in the U.S. Senate that has earned Wendell Ford
the admiration, the respect, and the undying affection of
his colleagues. And, having been elected to four terms in
the Senate, it is obvious that the good people of Kentucky
also understand and appreciate the skill, the dedication,
and the flawless integrity that Wendell Ford brings to his
work. He serves Kentucky and the Nation with a wit and
candor that are as timely and as refreshing as a cool
Kentucky breeze on a hot summer day.
In fact, in 1992, he began a string of historical
achievements when he received the largest number of votes
ever recorded by a candidate for elected office in the
State of Kentucky. On November 14, 1996, Wendell Ford
broke Alben Barkley's record for the longest consecutive
service in the U.S. Senate as a Senator from the
Commonwealth, while becoming the overall longest serving
Senator from Kentucky in March of this year.
Mr. President, such milestones are not just proud,
personal moments, although they are that. Rather, they
speak to the immense respect, and the tremendous trust
that the citizens of Kentucky have for their distinguished
senior Senator. Of course, to those of us who know Wendell
Ford, such respect and trust are not unfounded.
As a Member of this body, Senator Ford has become a
recognized leader in such diverse areas as aviation,
Federal campaign finance reform, and energy. He has,
through dedication and hard work, shaped such important
legislation as the National Voter Registration Act, the
Federal Aviation Administration Authorization Act of 1994,
the Family and Medical Leave Act, the National Energy
Security Act of 1992, and the Energy Security Act of 1977.
The commitment shown by our colleague from Kentucky in
working on these and other profound and troubling problems
that face this Nation is emblematic of the devoted public
servant that Wendell Ford has shown himself to be. There
will be few who will match the accomplishments of our
friend; few who will bring to this body a deeper passion;
and few who will legislate with greater skill.
Mr. President, as he prepares to leave the Senate, I
offer my sincere gratitude to Senator Wendell Ford for his
professionalism, for his friendship, for his leadership,
for his candor, and for his many years of dedicated
service to our Nation. I would also like to express my
admiration, and that of my wife, Erma, to Wendell's
gracious and dedicated wife, Jean. Few know, of course, of
the tremendous sacrifices made by our spouses. But those
of us who serve in this body understand the price paid by
these selfless, silent partners. None has done so with
greater dignity, or with more grace, than has Jean Ford.
And, so, I say to my friend from the Commonwealth of
Kentucky, I have treasured the time we have worked
together, and I wish him good luck and God's speed. He is
coming home.
Weep no more, my lady,
Oh! weep no more to-day!
We will sing one song for the Old Kentucky Home,
For the old Kentucky Home far away.
--``My Old Kentucky Home,'' Stephen Collins Foster, 1826-
1864.
Mr. KEMPTHORNE. Mr. President, I appreciate you
presiding as you do in such a class fashion. I would like
to make a few comments here. I have been touched and
impressed by the fact of colleagues coming to the floor
and paying tribute to those Members who are departing. I
have listened because, as one of those Members who are
departing, I know personally how much it means to hear
those kind comments that are made.
Senator Ford, who just spoke, is leaving after a very
illustrious career. I remember when the Republican Party
took over the majority 4 years ago and I was new to the
position of Presiding Officer, it was not unusual for
Wendell Ford, who knows many of the ropes around here, to
come and pull me aside and give me a few of the tips of
how I could be effective as a Presiding Officer. I think
probably one of the highest tributes you can pay to an
individual is the fact that you see their family and the
success they have had. I remember when Wendell Ford's
grandson, Clay, was a page here. I think Clay is probably
one of the greatest tributes paid to a grandfather.
Dale Bumpers, often mentioned here on the floor about
his great sense of humor, is an outstanding gentlemen. He
is someone whom I remember before I ever became involved
in politics. I watched him as a Governor of Arkansas and
thought, there is a man who has great integrity, someone
you can look up to. And then to have the opportunity to
serve with him has been a great honor.
John Glenn. Whenever any of the astronauts--the original
seven--would blast off into space, my mother would get all
the boys up so we could watch them. I remember when John
Glenn blasted off into space. Again, the idea that somehow
a kid would end up here and would serve with John Glenn is
just something I never could dream of at the time. In
fact, John Glenn became a partner in our efforts to stop
unfunded Federal mandates. You could not ask for a better
partner.
Speaking of partners, he could not have a better partner
than Annie. I had the great joy of traveling with them
approximately a year ago when we went to Asia. That is
when you get to know these people as couples. I remember
that we happened to be flying over an ocean when it was
the Marine Corps' birthday. On the airplane we had a cake
and brought it out, to the surprise of John Glenn. But you
could see the emotion in his eyes. I know the Presiding
Officer is a former U.S. Marine, so he knows what we are
talking about.
Dan Coats. There is no more genuine a person than Dan--
not only in the Senate but on the face of the Earth. He is
a man of great sincerity, a man who can articulate his
position so extremely well. He is a man who, when you look
into his eyes, you know he is listening to you and he is
going to do right by you and by the people of his State of
Indiana, and he has done right by the people of the United
States. He is a man who has great faith, a man to whom I
think a number of us have looked for guidance.
When you look at the Senate through the eyes of a
camera, you see just one dimension. But on the floor of
the Senate we are just people. A lot of times we don't get
home to our wives and kids and sometimes to the ball games
or back-to-school nights. There are times when some of the
issues don't go as we would like, and it gets tough. At
these times, we hurt. There are people like Dan Coats to
whom you can turn, who has said, ``Buddy, I have been
there and I am with you now.'' So, again, he is an
outstanding individual.
Monday, October 12, 1998.
Mr. DORGAN. I did want to say, having listened to the
Senator from Kentucky, my expectation is that virtually
every Member of this Senate, Republican and Democrat
alike, shares my feelings about the Senator from Kentucky.
He is tough, he is honest, he gets things done in the
Senate, and we are going to miss him a great deal.
I know the Senator from Montana feels that way, as does
the Senator from Texas. Some of our other colleagues are
not here. But one of the privileges of serving in this
body is serving with some of the best men and women I have
ever had the opportunity to work with in my life, and I
count among that group the Senator from Kentucky, Senator
Ford.
I would like to say, as he leaves the Senate, I thank
him for his public service to our country. He, because he
served in this body, has contributed to the well-being of
America. We are going to miss him a great deal. I expect
he will not be going far. I know he is going fishing, and
I know he is going to be involved in public service in his
own way, dealing with educating young people about civic
responsibilities and about government. I just want to say
he has contributed a substantial amount of service to his
country and we are deeply indebted to him for it.
Mr. GRAMM. Mr. President, I am sorry our colleague from
Kentucky has left the floor. I would like to add my voice
to those who thanked him for his service. In an era where
there are so many cellophane politicians, when there are
so many people in public life who talk like newscasters
but you can never quite tell what they are talking about
when they get through speaking, I think Wendell Ford has
been a welcome relief from that. He is a politician who
has texture. When he speaks you may think he is wrong--
which I often do--but you never question the fact that he
is sincere, and when he speaks you know what he is talking
about. I find the longer I serve in this great Senate, the
more respect I have for people who stand for something and
who speak up for it and who say what they think.
Mr. DOMENICI. Mr. President, it is with great respect
that I rise today to express my gratitude to the
distinguished minority whip, Senator Wendell Ford, for his
22 years of service to the U.S. Senate. I have been here
since the beginning of his Senate career and have
witnessed his many accomplishments over the years. His
tenure has represented a shining example of hard work,
honesty, and integrity.
Senator Ford and I served on the Energy and Natural
Resources Committee for many years together and shared a
mutual interest in energy policy. He has been a strong
advocate of the disposal of chemical weapons at the Blue
Grass Army Depot in Kentucky and has stood firm in his
commitment to exploring safe, affordable, and
environmentally sound alternatives to chemical weapons
incineration. He understands the threats of nuclear
proliferation and we have shared a common desire to ensure
proper stewardship of nuclear stockpiles across the globe.
I have appreciated his valuable contribution to this
mission and will miss his presence on the Energy and
Natural Resources Committee.
An accomplished public servant, Senator Ford served his
country in World War II, was elected Governor of the
Commonwealth of Kentucky, and as a Senator, established
himself as a national leader in energy, aviation, and
Federal-election reform policy. However, he may be best
known for his steadfast commitment to serving the people
of his beloved home State, Kentucky. He has diligently
sought to create opportunities for the people of America
and I am confident that upon his return to Kentucky, he
will continue to give as generously of himself as he did
during his 22 years of service in Congress.
I believe that I speak on behalf of all Members of the
Senate when I say that Wendell's leadership, talent, and
friendship will be sorely missed. I am grateful that I had
the opportunity to work with him and hope that when the
time comes for me to leave office, I will be as well
respected as Senator Wendell Ford by my constituency and
colleagues on both sides of the aisle.
Wendell, on behalf of myself and the State of New
Mexico, I commend you on a job very well done and wish you
and Jean continued health and happiness in your
retirement.
Mr. DASCHLE. Mr. President, on Saturday, I had a chance
to talk about our good friend, Dale Bumpers. I'd like to
take a few minutes to talk about four other friends who
will be leaving us at the end of this Congress.
Shortly after he left the White House, Calvin Coolidge
was called on to fill out a standard form. After filling
in his name and address, he came to a line marked
``occupation.'' He wrote ``retired.'' When he came to the
next line, labeled ``remarks,'' he wrote ``Glad of it.'' I
suspect that our colleagues who are retiring at the end of
this Congress are also ``glad of it''--at least in some
small measure. But, in addition to relief, I hope they
also feel a sense of pride--both for what they have
accomplished here, and the dignity with which they have
served.
In a short time here, Dirk Kempthorne has made all of
our lives a little better. Thanks in large part to him,
the Safe Drinking Water Act is now the law. Senator
Kempthorne has also reminded us of the importance of State
and local involvement in our decisions. We will all miss
him.
I had the good fortune to travel with Senator Kempthorne
to the Far East. As most of our colleagues know, as we
travel we get to know one another even better. I know him
and I admire him and I wish him well in his life after the
Senate. I also applaud him for the nature with which he
has continued to work with all of us. He has a very
conciliatory, very thoughtful, a very civil way with which
to deal with colleagues on issues. If we would all follow
Dirk Kempthorne's example, in my view, we would be a lot
better off in this body. His manner, his leadership, his
character, his personality is one that we are going to
miss greatly here in the U.S. Senate.
We will also miss Dan Coats. With his thoughtful
approach and uncompromising principles, Senator Coats has
followed his heart above all else. And, as a result of his
support of the Family and Medical Leave Act, millions of
Americans are able to follow their hearts, too, and spend
more time with their families when they need them most.
When Senator Coats announced his retirement in 1996, he
said, ``I want to leave (politics) when I am young enough
to contribute somewhere else * * * I want to leave when
there is still a chance to follow God's leading to
something new.'' Wherever Senator Coats and Senator
Kempthorne are led, we wish them both the best. I am
confident that they will continue to contribute much to
their country and to their fellow citizens.
And we will surely miss our own three departing
Senators.
Dale Bumpers, Wendell Ford and John Glenn are three of
the sturdiest pillars in this institution. They have much
in common. They came here--all three of them--in 1974. For
nearly a quarter-century, they have worked to restore
Americans' faith in their government.
Their names have been called with the roll of every
important question of our time. And they have answered
that call with integrity and dignity.
They are sons of small town America who still believe in
the values they learned back in Charlestown, AR;
Owensboro, KY; and New Concord, OH. They are also modest
men.
Perhaps because they had already accomplished so much
before they came to the Senate, they have never worried
about grabbing headlines here. Instead, they have been
content to work quietly, but diligently--often with
colleagues from across the aisle--to solve problems as
comprehensively as they can. They have been willing to
take on the ``nuts and bolts'' work of the Senate--what
John Glenn once called ``the grunt work'' of making the
Government run more efficiently.
They were all elected to the Senate by wide margins, and
reelected by even wider margins. And they all would have
been reelected this year, I have no doubt, had they chosen
to run again.
What I will remember most about each of them, though, is
not how much they are like each other they are, but how
unlike anyone else they are. Each of them is an American
original.
As I said, I've already shared my thoughts about Dale
Bumpers. No Senator has ever had more courage than Dale
Bumpers.
And no Senate leader has ever had the benefit of a
better teacher than Wendell Ford.
No leader has ever enjoyed such a loyal partnership as I
have. No leader has ever had a better friend and
counselor.
For the past 4 years, Senator Ford has been my right
hand and much more. He is as skilled a political mind, and
as warm a human being, as this Senate has ever known.
Carved inside the drawer of the desk in which Wendell
sits is the name of another Kentucky Senator, ``the Great
Compromisor,'' Henry Clay. It is a fitting match.
Like Henry Clay, Wendell Ford believes that compromise
is honorable and necessary in a democracy. But he also
understands that compromise is, as Clay said, ``negotiated
hurt.''
I suspect that is why he has always preferred to try to
work out disagreements behind the scenes. It allows both
sides to bend, and still keep their dignity.
In 1991, Wendell's quiet, bipartisan style convinced a
Senator from across the aisle, Mark Hatfield, to join him
in sponsoring the ``Motor Voter'' bill. Working together,
they convinced the Senate to pass that legislation. To
this day, it remains the most ambitious effort Congress
has made since the Voting Rights Act to open up the voting
booth to more Americans.
Wendell Ford has served the Bluegrass State as a State
senator, Lieutenant Governor, Governor and U.S. Senator.
His love for his fellow Kentuckians is obvious, and it is
reciprocated.
In his 1980 Senate race, Wendell Ford became the first
opposed candidate in Kentucky history to carry all 120
counties. In 1992, he received the highest number of votes
ever cast for any candidate in his State.
Throughout his years in the Senate, Senator Ford has
also been a tenacious fighter for the people of Kentucky.
He has also been a leader on aviation issues, a determined
foe of government waste and duplication, a champion of
campaign finance reform, and--something we are especially
grateful for on this side of the aisle--a tireless leader
for the Democratic Party.
He chaired the Democratic Senate Campaign Committee for
three Congresses, from 1976 through 1982. And, in 1990,
Democratic Senators elected him unanimously to be our
party whip, our second-in-command, in the Senate--a
position he still holds today.
We will miss his raspy and unmistakable voice, his good
humor and wise counsel.
Finally, there is John Glenn. What can one say about
John Glenn that has not already been said?
In all these 24 years, as hard as he tried to blend in
with the rest of us, as hard as he tried to be just a
colleague among colleagues, it never quite worked, did it?
I used to think that maybe I was the only one here who
still felt awed in his presence. Two years ago, on a
flight from China with John and a handful of other
Senators and our spouses, I learned that wasn't so.
During the flight, we were able to persuade John to
recollect that incredible mission aboard Friendship 7,
when he became the first American to orbit the Earth. He
told us about losing all radio communication during re-
entry, about having to guide his spacecraft manually
during the most critical point in re-entry, about seeing
pieces of his fiberglass heat panel bursting into flames
and flying off his space capsule, knowing that at any
moment, he could be incinerated.
We all huddled around him with our eyes wide open. No
one moved. No one said a word.
Listening to him, I felt the same awe I had felt when I
was 14 years old, sitting in a classroom in Aberdeen, SD,
watching TV accounts of that flight. Then I looked around
me, and realized everyone else there was feeling the same
thing.
I saw that same sense of awe in other Senators' faces in
June, when we had a dinner for John at the National Air
and Space Museum. Before dinner, we were invited to have
our photographs taken with John in front of the Friendship
7 capsule. I don't think I've ever seen so many Senators
waiting so patiently for anything as we did for that one
picture.
A lot of people tend to think of two John Glenns:
Colonel John Glenn, the astronaut-hero; and Senator John
Glenn. The truth is, there is only John Glenn--the
patriot.
Love for his country is what sent John into space. It's
what brought him to Washington, and compelled him to work
so diligently all these years in the Senate.
People who have been there say you see the world
differently from space. You see the ``big picture.'' You
see how small and interconnected our planet is.
Perhaps it's because he came to the Senate with that
perspective that John has fought so hard against nuclear
proliferation and other weapons of mass destruction.
Maybe because he'd had enough glamour and tickertape
parades by the time he came here, John chose to immerse
himself in some decidedly unglamorous causes.
He immersed himself in the scientific and the technical.
He looked at government with the eyes of an engineer, and
tried to imagine ways it could work better and more
efficiently.
As early as 1978, he called for Congress to live by the
same workplace rules it sets for everyone else. More
recently, he spearheaded the overhaul of the Federal
Government procurement system, enabling the Government to
buy products faster, and save money at the same time.
In 1974, the year he was elected to the Senate, John
Glenn carried all 88 counties in Ohio. In 1980, he was
reelected with the largest margin in his State's history.
The last time he ran, in 1992, he became the first Ohio
Senator ever to win four terms.
As I said, I'm sure he would have been reelected had he
chosen to run again. But, as we all know, he has other
plans.
For 36 years, John Glenn has wanted to go back into
space. On October 29, he will finally get his chance. At
77 years old, he will become the oldest human being ever
to orbit the Earth--by 16 years.
Many of us will be in Houston to see John and his
Discovery crew mates blast off. If history is any
indication, I suspect we will be wide-eyed once again.
In closing, let me say, Godspeed, John Glenn and Dale
Bumpers, Wendell Ford, Dirk Kempthorne and Dan Coats. You
have served this Senate well. You are all ``Senators'
Senators,'' and we will miss you dearly.
Wednesday, October 14, 1998.
Mr. INOUYE. Mr. President, since taking my oath of
office in January 1963, I have had the high privilege of
serving with 323 Senators. Among them were some of the
giants we read about in history books, Richard Russell of
Georgia, Everett Dirksen of Illinois, Mike Mansfield of
Montana, and John Stennis of Mississippi.
I have served with men and women of great moral strength
and high intellect, but, of the 323 Senators, I shall
always look upon one person as my ``best friend''--Senator
Wendell Ford.
How does one become a best friend of a stranger? I had
some knowledge of Wendell before he was elected, because I
was then a member of the Senate Campaign Committee and
serving as the Secretary of the Democratic Caucus. I knew
that he was a former State Senator, Lieutenant Governor,
and the 49th Governor of the Commonwealth of Kentucky
before he was elected to the Senate. I also knew that he
was one of the most popular presidents of the U.S. Junior
Chamber of Commerce.
When I first met Wendell in early 1974, I immediately
liked what I saw.
I could see that he was ``truth in packaging''
personified. There were no fancy frills, or bells, or
ribbons around him. He was down to earth. He obviously
loved his constituents and without question, understood
them. Immediately, I concluded that he was a ``man of the
people.'' Soon, I found myself serving with him on two
important committees--the Senate Committee on Commerce,
Science, and Transportation and the Committee on Rules and
Administration.
Whenever he stood and raised his voice to defend,
advocate, oppose, or support a measure, you knew that it
related to people.
Therefore, I was not surprised when he became the prime
mover of the National Voter Registration Act which would
ensure that every American who was of age, qualified and
wanted to vote was given the opportunity to do so. He took
away all of the obstacles that stood in their path.
He also made certain that when a worker's spouse was ill
at home, he or she was given the right to be with their
loved ones in their time of great need. He knew what it
was to be a husband and a father. And he knew what it
meant to comfort wives and children in time of need. When
Wendell became the chairman of the Aviation Subcommittee,
first and foremost on his agenda was passenger safety.
He was always ready to carry the banner for the working
man and woman. And during the recent tobacco legislation
debates, Wendell's voice was one of the very few that
spoke out for the tobacco farmer. His concern was not for
the wealthy chief executive officers. His concern was for
the poor farmer who had to struggle, day in and day out,
to eke out a livelihood.
Wendell also spoke out for the miners who worked in the
deep coal mines, and for those who had been discriminated
against in employment because of their age. He was a
``workhorse,'' never a ``showhorse.'' When others would
give eloquent speeches on cutting the cost of government,
he did something about it. He led the movement to adopt a
2-year budget, thereby saving millions of dollars by
streamlining our budgetary process.
He introduced the measure that is responsible now for
using recycled printing paper by the Federal Government,
thus saving millions of dollars. After all, the paperwork
of the Federal Government today, with all the
technological advances, still uses more than 480,000 tons
of paper annually. However, before Wendell Ford got into
the act, it was nearly double that amount.
As a politician, he wanted to make certain that
campaigns were carried out without corruption and without
impediments. He streamlined voter registration procedures,
and did everything to increase voter participation in
Federal elections.
Wendell Ford's departure from the Senate will leave a
huge void in the committee rooms and in the Senate
Chamber. It is difficult for me to imagine that next year
we will not hear his voice rising to defend the working
man and woman.
We will not hear his voice to insist upon safety for our
traveling public. And we will not hear his voice for good
and clean government. I hope that the people of Kentucky
will someday come to the realization that they and the
people of this Nation were blessed with the service of
Wendell Ford.
Winston Churchill just prior to his retirement from
active government service said, ``Service to the community
is the rent we pay for living on this Earth.'' Wendell
Ford has been paying his rent throughout his life.
It will be difficult for me to say goodbye to my good
friend. It will be difficult no matter how good a person
his successor may be, to fill his ``huge boots.''
But most importantly, I agree with my wife, Maggie, that
what makes Wendell a good husband, a good father, and
decent human being is the fact that he had the good sense
to marry his beloved Jean. Without Jean, Kentucky and our
Nation would have been denied the great service of Wendell
H. Ford.
Wendell and Jean, you have my best wishes for continued
happiness and fulfillment in the bright years ahead. We
shall miss you immensely.
Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. President, I am pleased to join others
to comment on the service provided to America and to
Kentucky by Wendell Ford. While we were members of
different political parties, I often had the opportunity
to hear him speak on this floor and to observe him
represent his party as a Democratic leader. He is strong,
experienced, filled with good humor and a tough advocate
for his State and for his beliefs. I was honored to be the
presiding officer for the Senate on the day in which
Wendell Ford eclipsed the service record of a host of
outstanding Kentucky Senators and became the longest
serving Senator from that great State.
While he loves government, politics and the debate that
goes with this office, he is a family man at heart. He has
the sense of a southerner. He remembers his friends and he
loves his State.
He is also independent. I recall one late night that we
were debating whether to limit the high attorneys' fees in
the tobacco cases. Senator Ford came on the floor and I
noticed him looking my way during the debate. As we
concluded, he asked if I would yield for a question. I
answered his inquiry as best I could and he firmly nodded.
Even though his party was strongly against my amendment,
and no one could doubt that Wendell Ford is a good
Democrat, he voted for the amendment and it passed by one
vote.
Those are the things that you remember and are a good
example for all of us. While we want to be loyal, we are
also independent.
Mr. President, we are losing one of our more notable
Members. We will miss the richness of his experience, the
sharp debate, and the good humor. While our association
has been a short one, I have enjoyed and benefited from
it, and expect that it will continue.
Wednesday, October 21, 1998.
Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, in this last day of the 105th
Congress, I think it is appropriate that we take a little
more time to express our appreciation and our admiration
for our retiring Senators. I look down the list: Senator
Bumpers of Arkansas; Senator Coats of Indiana; Senator
Ford, the Democratic whip, of Kentucky; Senator Glenn, who
will soon be taking another historic flight into space;
and Senator Kempthorne, who I believe is also going to be
taking flight into a new position of leadership and honor.
This is a distinguished group of men who have been
outstanding Senators, who have left their mark on this
institution. I believe you could say in each case they
have left the Senate a better place than it was when they
came.
Have we had our disagreements along the way? Sure,
within parties and across party aisles. I have to take a
moment to express my appreciation to each of these
Senators. I especially want to thank Senator Ford for his
cooperation in his position as whip. We worked together
for a year and a half as the whip on our respective side
of the aisle and we always had a very good relationship.
Of course, I have already expressed my very close
relationship for Senator Coats and for Senator Kempthorne.
To all of these Senators, I want to extend my fondest
farewell.
As majority leader, I feel a responsibility to speak for
all of us in bidding an official farewell to our five
colleagues who are retiring this year.
It was 1974 when Dale Bumpers left the Governorship of
Arkansas to take the Senate seat that had long been held
by Senator Fulbright. There are several Senators in this
Chamber today who, in 1974, were still in high school.
Four terms in the Senate of the United States can be a
very long time--but that span of nearly a quarter-century
has not in the least diminished Senator Bumpers'
enthusiasm for his issues and energy in advancing them.
He has been a formidable debater, fighting for his
causes with a tenacity and vigor that deserves the title
of Razorback.
It is a memorable experience to be on the receiving end
of his opposition--whether the subject was the space
station or, year after year, mining on public lands.
Arkansas and Mississippi are neighbors, sharing many of
the same problems. From personal experience, I know how
Senator Bumpers has been an assiduous and effective
advocate for his State and region.
No one expects retirement from the Senate to mean
inactivity for Senator Bumpers, whose convictions run too
deep to be set aside with his formal legislative duties.
All of us who know the sacrifices an entire family makes
when a spouse or parent is in the Congress can rejoice for
him, for Betty, and for their family, in the prospect of
more time together in a well earned future.
Senator Dan Coats and I have a bond in common which most
Members of the Senate do not share. We both began our
careers on Capitol Hill, not as Members, but as staffers.
I worked for the venerable William Colmer of
Mississippi, chairman of the House Rules Committee, who
left office in 1972 at the age of 82. Senator Coats worked
for Dan Quayle, who came to Congress at the age of 27.
Despite the differences in our situations back then, we
both learned the congressional ropes from the bottom up.
Which may be why we both have such respect for the
twists and turns of the legislative process, not to
mention an attentive ear to the views and concerns of our
constituents.
Now and then, a Senator becomes nationally known for his
leadership on a major issue. Senator Coats has had several
such issues.
One was the constitutional amendment for a balanced
budget. Another was New Jersey's garbage, and whether it
would be dumped along the banks of the Wabash.
The garbage issue is still unresolved, but on other
matters, his success has been the Nation's profit.
He has championed the American family, improved Head
Start, kept child care free of government control, and
helped prevent a Federal takeover of health care.
His crusade to give low-income families school choice
has made him the most important education reformer since
Horace Mann. His passionate defense of children before
birth has been, to use an overworked phrase, a profile in
courage.
Senator Coats does have a secret vice. He is a baseball
addict. On their honeymoon, he took Marcia to a Cubs game.
And when he was a Member of the House, he missed the vote
on flag-burning to keep a promise to his son to see the
Cubs in the playoffs.
To Dan, a commitment is a commitment. That is why he is
national president of Big Brothers. And why, a few years
ago, he kept a very important audience waiting for his
arrival at a meeting here on the Hill.
He had, en route, come across a homeless man, and spent
a half-hour urging him to come with him to the Gospel
Rescue Mission.
Here in the Congress, we must always be in a hurry. But
Senator Coats and his wife, Marcia, have known what is
worth waiting for.
They have been a blessing to our Senate family, and they
will always remain a part of it.
Senator Wendell Ford stands twelfth in seniority in the
Senate, with the resignation of his predecessor, Senator
Marlow Cook, giving him a 6-day advantage over his
departing colleague, Senator Bumpers.
He came to Washington with a full decade of hands-on
governmental experience in his native Kentucky. He had
been a State senator, Lieutenant Governor, and Governor.
With that background, he needed little time to make his
mark in the Senate.
In that regard, he reminds me of another Kentuckian who
made a lasting mark on the Senate.
Last month, I traveled to Ashland, the home of Henry
Clay, to receive a medallion named after the man once
known as Harry of the West. Senator Ford was a prior
recipient of that award, and appropriately so.
Henry Clay was a shrewd legislator, a tough bargainer,
who did not suffer fools lightly. That description sounds
familiar to anyone who has worked with Senator Ford.
He can be a remarkably effective partisan. I can attest
to that. There is a good reason why he has long been his
party's second-in-command in the Senate.
At the same time, he has maintained a personal autonomy
that is the mark of a true Senator. He has been outspoken
about his wish that his party follow the more moderate
path to which he has long adhered.
Senator Ford's influence has been enormous in areas like
energy policy and commerce. Contemporary politics may be
dependent upon quotable sound-bites and telegenic
posturing, but he has held to an older and, in my opinion,
a higher standard.
One of the least sought-after responsibilities in the
Senate is service on the Rules Committee.
It can be a real headache. But it is crucial to the
stature of the Senate. We all owe Senator Ford our
personal gratitude for his long years of work on that
Committee.
His decisions there would not always have been my
decisions; that is the nature of our system. But his work
there has set a standard for meticulousness and gravity.
All of us who treasure the traditions, the decorum, and
the comity of the Senate will miss him.
We wish him and Jean the happiness of finally being able
to set their own hours, enjoy their grandchildren, and
never again missing dinner at home because of a late-night
session on the Senate floor.
There are many ways to depart the Senate. Our colleague
from Ohio, Senator John Glenn, will be leaving us in a
unique fashion, renewing the mission to space which he
helped to begin in 1962.
In the weeks ahead, he will probably be the focus of
more publicity, here and around the world, than the entire
Senate has been all year long.
It will be well deserved attention, and I know he
accepts it, not for himself, but for America's space
program.
For decades now, he has been, not only its champion, but
in a way, its embodiment.
That is understandable, but to a certain extent, unfair.
For his astronaut image tends to overshadow the
accomplishments of a long legislative career.
In particular, his work on the Armed Services Committee,
the Commerce Committee, and our Special Committee on Aging
has been a more far-reaching achievement than orbiting the
Earth.
With the proper support and training, others might have
done that, but Senator Glenn's accomplishments here in the
Senate are not so easily replicated.
This year's hit film, ``Saving Private Ryan,'' has had a
tremendous impact on young audiences by bringing home to
them the sacrifice and the suffering of those who fought
America's wars.
I think Senator Glenn has another lesson to teach them.
For the man who will soon blast off from Cape Canaveral,
as part of America's peaceful conquest of space--is the
same Marine who, more than a half century ago, saw combat
in World War II, and again in Korea.
His mission may have changed, but courage and idealism
endure.
In a few days, along with Annie and the rest of his
family, we will be cheering him again, as he again makes
us proud of our country, proud of our space program, and
proud to call him our friend and colleague.
Senator Dirk Kempthorne came to us from Idaho only 6
years ago. He now returns amid the nearly universal
expectation that he will be his State's next Governor. It
will be a wise choice.
None of us are surprised by his enormous popularity back
home. We have come to know him, not just as a consummate
politician, but as a thoughtful, decent, and caring man.
This is a man who took the time to learn the names of
the men and women who work here in the Capitol and in the
Senate office buildings.
In fact, his staff allots extra time for him to get to
the Senate floor to vote because they know he will stop
and talk to people on the way.
During the memorial ceremony in the Capitol Rotunda for
our two officers who lost their lives protecting this
building, Senator Kempthorne noticed that the son of one
of the officers, overwhelmed by emotion, suddenly left the
room.
Dirk followed him, and spent a half-hour alone with him,
away from the cameras. The public doesn't see those
things, but that's the kind of concern we expect from him.
His willingness to share credit gave us our Unfunded
Mandates Act and reauthorization of the Safe Drinking
Water Law. And his eye for detail and pride in his own
home State led to the transformation of that long, sterile
corridor between the Capitol and the Dirksen and Hart
office buildings.
Now, as tourists ride the space-age mechanized subway,
they enjoy the display of State flags and seals that form
a patriotic parade. It delights the eye and lifts the
spirit.
If you've ever visited Idaho, known its people, and seen
its scenic wonders, you don't have to wonder why he's
leaving us early.
You wonder, instead, why he ever left.
Years ago, he explained his future this way: That he
would know when it was time to leave the Senate when he
stopped asking ``why'' and started saying ``because.''
We're going to miss him and Patricia, and no one needs
to ask ``why.'' Even so, we know the Governor will be
forceful spokesman on the Hill for all the Governors.
They could not have a better representative. The Senate
could not have a better exemplar. We could not have a
better friend.
Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, I would like to take a moment
to bid a fond farewell to one of our most senior Senators,
Senator Wendell Ford, who, despite my objections, is
leaving the Senate this year. I think that all Members
will agree that his departure will be a loss for the
Senate and Nation, as we are losing one of our most
respected and well-liked Senators.
Senator Ford and I began our careers in the U.S. Senate
together--24 years ago. It seeks like just yesterday we
were the new kids on the block, trying to get the hang of
the Senate. A lot has changed from those early days, as
Senator Ford has proudly served the people of Kentucky
while serving on the Committees on Rules and
Administration (where he is ranking member), Commerce,
Science, and Transportation, Energy and Natural Resources,
and the Joint Committee on Printing (where he was formerly
chairman).
Hailing from Thurston, KY, Senator Ford has brought to
the Senate a long and distinguished career as well as the
down-home common sense for which he is known. A graduate
of the University of Kentucky, Wendell went on to serve in
the U.S. Army in 1944-1946 and in the Kentucky Army
National Guard for 13 years. Senator Ford has long been
associated with public service, as he served as a Kentucky
State senator, Lieutenant Governor and as Kentucky's 49th
Governor.
Senator Ford has come a long way from being a new kid on
the U.S. Senate block in 1974 to becoming the longest
serving Senator from Kentucky today. And, I might add, he
is now one of the most senior Members of the entire Senate
and one who follows the old traditions of the Senate as
one who always keeps his word.
Throughout his tenure in the U.S. Senate, Wendell has
been recognized as a national leader in campaign-finance
reform, energy issues, and, of course, looking out for our
Nation's tobacco farmers. That has never been as much as
an issue as it has this past year, with Congress' attempts
at passing tobacco legislation.
A friend to the environment, Senator Ford was the first
to introduce and pass a program instructing the Federal
Government to be a model for the country and use recycled
printed paper. This program is now the rule rather than
the exception in the Federal Government, as well as
schools and businesses throughout the United States.
It is with much regret that I say goodbye to Senator
Ford. He has been a great friend all of these years in the
Senate, and I will miss him greatly. I hope that
retirement brings him plenty of time to spend with his
wife, Jean, and their five grandchildren. Knowing Wendell,
however, I have no doubt that retirement will be neither
quiet nor slow him down.
Mrs. BOXER. Mr. President, I would like to say a few
words before the close of the 105th Congress about my
friend and colleague, Wendell Ford, the very distinguished
senior Senator from the great State of Kentucky. His
retirement from the Senate this year leaves this body of
government missing a cornerstone that I am not sure we can
replace anytime soon.
From the heartland of these United States, he is a
strong, resonant voice for the working people of this
Nation. This Senate Chamber will sound a bit hollow
without that gruff, but friendly voice crying out for
``order'' in these Chambers.
I have served for 6 years now with Senator Ford. During
our time together I have known him as a stalwart ally in
our party and a valuable friend. As an indefatigable
champion for Kentucky, he never betrayed that trust that
the people who elected him four times to the U.S. Senate
bestowed upon him. That he has been able to keep his feet
firmly grounded in Kentucky's interests while extending
his helping hand to Senators from every region of this
Nation is a testament to his skill, temperament and
wisdom.
I cannot speak of Senator Ford without expressing my
admiration for his leadership on the Committee on
Commerce, Science and Transportation, particularly his
service as chairman and ranking member of the Subcommittee
on Aviation. No issue is small to Senator Ford if it is a
big issue to his colleague. I remember early in my tenure
here that he worked with me on an issue that I have
struggled with every since I came to House of
Representatives and later as a Senator. We needed the
Federal Aviation Administration to work with other Federal
agencies and cleanup an abandoned radar site on Mt.
Tamalpais in my home county of Marin.
I had been here only a year or so before Senator Ford
sliced through the bureaucratic tangle and resolved this
local problem at long last in the 1994 FAA Reauthorization
bill.
He was also there for the State of California when we
were trying to get the California Cruise Ship Industry
Revitalization Act accepted in conference. He stood in the
door of that conference--refusing to call it complete--
until our provision was accepted. This provision has
provided enormous benefits for our ports in California,
and we are grateful for his untiring assistance.
While helping on these local and State issues, he has
been the strongest advocate for our airports, particularly
in using the Airport trust fund for what it was intended
modernizing and upgrading airports across the country to
keep them safe and competitive. I was proud to see that we
named the FAA reauthorization bill this year, the Wendell
H. Ford National Air Transportation System Improvement
Act. The truth is I feel like every time we have voted for
the FAA reauthorization bill it has had his stamp upon it.
I wish the Senator from Kentucky a fond farewell--but
not goodbye. He will always be in my thoughts and in my
heart. And I know his voice will still echo throughout
these hallowed halls--and in the halls of our memories, we
will forever remember Wendell Ford's decency, compassion,
and plain old common sense.
---
FAREWELL ADDRESS OF SENATOR WENDELL H. FORD
Mr. FORD. Mr. President, I want to make a few brief
remarks, share a few thoughts, and express my heart felt
thanks to a number of individuals who have made my life in
the Senate a little bit easier and a little bit more
enjoyable than it otherwise would have been.
I have been privileged to serve in this body since
December 28, 1974. As I look back, it is amazing how much
progress we have made as a country during that period. The
average life expectancy in this country has increased by 4
years. The average per capita income after adjusting for
inflation, has risen 40 percent during this time period.
The portion of adults with at least a high school diploma
has risen from about two-thirds of adults to more than
four-fifths. The percentage of adults with at least a
bachelor's degree has risen from 14 percent to 25 percent.
So we are living longer and healthier lives, we are
wealthier, and we are better educated.
And the quality of life has improved in many other ways
as well. We have an almost unlimited ability to
communicate. The developments with computers in recent
years have been almost breathtaking. Children understand
computers at an early age--often before they even start
school. The percentage of homes with computers keeps
rising. We have cell phones and laptops and cable TV and
satellite dishes and fax machines. Our access to
information is better and faster than ever.
We have opportunities to travel more, live in bigger
homes, and eat more nutritious meals. We spend more on
entertainment than ever.
But Mr. President, our challenges are probably greater
than ever.
I entered the Senate at the beginning of a period of
deep cynicism and distrust of government, having just come
through the Vietnam war and Watergate. We have always had
a very healthy distrust of government in this country, but
1974 was an especially troublesome time. And I have
witnessed a fascinating national debate on the role of
government during the period since. The cynicism from
Watergate evolved into a crisis of confidence in our
country, and a growing feeling by some through the 1980's
that government was the major source of many problems in
our society, not the solution.
But the debate of the role of government has continued
to evolve. I think we are at the point today where there
is a fairly broad consensus among Americans about certain
aspects of government.
There is a consensus about certain things that Americans
want from their government--a strong defense, the best
educational system in the world, managing the economy in
an efficient way, including balanced budgets, low
inflation, low interest rates, low unemployment, and the
least amount of taxation and regulation possible.
Americans want fair rules in the workplace and the
marketplace, from family leave to fair trade to basic
consumer protection. They want an adequate infrastructure
to sustain a successful and growing economy. And they
expect minimal safety and health protections, from law
enforcement to food and drug safety to providing health
care for the elderly and the poor.
I have found that almost all of my colleagues want these
things as well. We often differ on the best approach, or
the best philosophy, for meeting these goals and providing
what our constituents want, but we are all basically after
the same things.
Some of my colleagues on the other side of aisle still
use the rhetoric from the 1980's about being for lower
taxes and smaller government. Who could be against that?
But most of these same colleagues are also for all of the
things I just mentioned. They would agree with me that
these are all things that our constituents demand and
expect us to address. We all want the smallest government
possible, but we want government to deliver on all of
these things. So it is a challenge for all of us.
And the future challenges for the next Congress and
beyond will be even more complex. I mentioned earlier that
we are living longer. The standard retirement age has not
gone up since I came to the Senate. In fact, the average
private sector retirement age has gone down. But we live
longer. The percentage of the population age 65 and older
is up to about 13 percent today, and is projected to
continue to grow. During my tenure in the Senate, I have
seen Federal spending on Social Security grow from $64 to
$380 billion. I have seen Medicare spending increase from
$13 to $220 billion. And roughly half of Medicaid
spending, which has gone from $7 to $100 billion in the
budget, is attributable to nursing home care. These three
areas alone--Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid--have
gone from about 25 percent of the total budget to roughly
42 percent of the total budget. Without question, the
major budget issue in the next few years is how we deal
with the costs associated with the elderly.
And it is a quality issue as well. Many of the same
trends which are currently affecting managed care in the
private sector will certainly affect the quality of
medical care received by the elderly. I wish we had made
more progress in these areas before my time in the Senate
expired. I wish my colleagues well in addressing these
issues and urge them to do so earlier rather than later. I
know many colleagues share my sentiments.
The other area I would urge my colleagues to address is
the financing and operation of campaigns. Here is an area
that has changed dramatically during my 24 years. When I
announced my retirement from the Senate, I mentioned the
two ``M's,''--Money and Meanness--as major reasons why I
chose not to run again. Now that we are in the midst of
the current campaign season, I believe even stronger about
this issue. As reported in the newspaper yesterday, PACs
have collected almost $360 million in the last 18 months.
We all like to say that the money does not influence how
we vote and how we think, but, truthfully, it is a matter
of degree. There needs to be a stronger ethic of avoiding
even the appearance of a conflict of interest. We need
more of that in politics--much more of it. Senators who
solicit campaign contributions and then within a very
short period of time are casting votes and making
decisions on matters which greatly affect both the
contributors and the Senator's constituents place
themselves in very difficult situations. It goes to the
heart of our system of Democracy, and whether it works or
will continue to work. There has got to be a better way.
There are also a lot of ideas around here on how to make a
better way. I can only hope some of these ideas are
translated into law in the very near future.
So, Mr. President, I wish may colleagues well. I will
miss the institution dearly. I will miss the daily
interaction with my colleagues, many of whom have become
such dear friends to me. Let me thank you for your
friendship. And last, let me thank staff. My personal
office staff, both here and in the State offices, have
been like family to me. I have tried to treat them that
way, and it has been mutual. The committee staff and floor
staff I have been privileged to work with over the years
have all been great to me as well--they make this place
run and make us all look good from time to time. I thank
them all for their support and service to our country.
This country would not be nearly what it is without
office, committee and floor staff. As I leave the Senate,
please know that I will keep you all in my thoughts and
prayers, and wish all of you good luck and happiness in
the years to come.
Mr. President, for perhaps the last time, I yield the
floor.
---
ORDER FOR PRINTING OF INDIVIDUAL SENATE DOCUMENTS
Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that
there be printed as individual Senate documents a
compilation of materials from the Congressional Record in
tribute to Senators Dan Coats of Indiana, Dirk Kempthorne
of Idaho, Dale Bumpers of Arkansas, Wendell Ford of
Kentucky, and John Glenn of Ohio.
The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Craig). Without objection, it
is so ordered.
Mr. LOTT. These clearly are five great Senators who have
served their States and their country so well. And I am
sure they will continue to do so, albeit in a different
arena. Of course, I have said here, Dan Coats has been one
of my closest friends for the past 20 years. I will miss
him here but I will be with him in other areas.
And, of course, John Glenn makes history once again
flying off into space. And many Senators and their spouses
will be there to see that event.
ARTICLES AND EDITORIALS
[From Roll Call, January 26, 1998]
Seniority Bites
members with collective 437 years of service in the house
and senate are leaving political office, taking with them
some colorful memories, major legislative achievements,
and political lessons
(By Francesca Contiguglia)
When Representative Lee Hamilton (D-IN) first came to
Congress in 1965, septuagenarian House Speaker John
McCormack (D-MA) had trouble remembering the freshman's
name.
All that changed on the eve of a Caucus vote for
Speaker, when McCormack called for Hamilton's vote.
Hamilton said he would not be supporting the Speaker.
``From that day on, McCormack remembered my name,'' said
Hamilton.
That's just one of the dozens of lessons learned over
the years by Hamilton and the 17 other Members retiring at
the end of this year. But even after a collective 390
years of service, 437 including resigning Members, some of
these Members have regrets about not mastering those
lessons sooner.
``I only wish I had known in 1975 what I know now,''
said Senator Dale Bumpers (D-AR), who is retiring after
four terms in the Senate. ``I would have been a more
effective Senator.''
``You must live through the battles and develop an
institutional memory,'' said Bumpers. He counsels
newcomers to remember that ``you only have so many battles
in you,'' so pick them carefully.
Bumpers has picked plenty of battles, having been known
as an unabashed liberal who is an adamant supporter of
arms control. He once accused Reagan of not wanting ``to
spend money on anything that does not explode.'' Bumpers,
who is also known as a passionate orator, tells newcomers
to remember that the life of a legislator can be
frustrating.
``My goal from the time I was 12 years old was to come
to Congress,'' he said.
``But it's not long till you realize you're just one of
the hundred,'' a sobering realization, he said.
Other Senate retirees include Glenn and Senators Wendell
Ford (D-KY) and Dan Coats (R-IN). ``There's never been
three finer men serve in the U.S. Senate than those
three,'' said Bumpers.
Although Glenn is a national hero, he has had his share
of disappointments.
He dropped out of the 1984 presidential race after a
surprisingly weak showing.
He later was dragged through the mud during the Keating
Five affair, even though the Senate Ethics Committee
cleared him of any wrongdoing.
``One of the greatest miscarriages of justice was Glenn
being brought into the Keating Five hearings,'' said
Bumpers. ``You couldn't hold a gun on me and make me think
John had done anything wrong, ever in his whole life.''
Glenn's clean-cut image was also scarred a bit by his role
as ranking member in the Senate Governmental Affairs
campaign finance investigation last year.
Republicans accused Glenn of being a defense attorney
for the Clinton administration and said he muffed a golden
opportunity to make a bipartisan case for reform on the
eve of his retirement--a charge that Glenn vociferously
denied.
Ford, who came to the Senate in 1974 along with Bumpers
and Glenn, has distinguished himself as a fierce defender
of the institution both as chairman of the Rules and
Administration Committee and as Democratic Whip for 7
years.
Known as a plain-spoken man from Kentucky, Ford has
looked out for one of his State's top industries: tobacco.
With an ever-present cigarette in his mouth--either during
congressional hearings or in the hallways of power--Ford
has made sure that Senate rules allow individuals to smoke
on his side of the Capitol.
Now 73, Ford is not slowing down. He gave a speech in
September 1996 for a departing colleague, Senator James
Exon (D-NE), and said, ``I hope you live to be 105 and I'm
one of your pallbearers.'' Coats has spent less time in
the Senate than his retiring colleagues, but he has made
his mark for being upbeat and humorous, making his staff
``more like a family,'' according to his press secretary
of 9 years, Tim Goeglein.
Goeglein recalled Coats's first day in the Senate. The
staff was unpacking the office when a squirrel snuck in
through an open window and ran about wreaking havoc. Coats
ran off a list of puns and jokes about having a small
rodent running around a Senate office.
One of Coats's larger causes was the line-item veto,
which passed in the 104th Congress. But he has also been
devoted to family causes. Among other things, he supported
the Family Leave Act and sponsored a law allowing parents
to block dial-a-porn numbers.
Outside of politics, Coats is an enormous Chicago Cubs
fan and has said if he weren't a Senator, he'd want to be
the shortstop for the team. His wish almost came true on
his 50th birthday, when he was called from the stands at
Wrigley Field to throw out the first pitch, a surprise
arranged by his staff.
---
[From the Cincinnati Enquirer, March 11, 1997]
Ford Helped Shape N. Ky.
`he got things * * * we would have gotten no other way'
(By Gregory A. Hall)
In a political career that spanned generations, Sen.
Wendell Ford became the godfather of the Democratic Party
in Kentucky.
In those 30-plus years, the Owensboro insurance salesman
went from the State Senate and the Governor's mansion to
the second-most-powerful Democratic position in the U.S.
Senate. Mr. Ford--the longest-serving Senator in Kentucky
history--said Monday he will not seek re-election in 1998
for a fifth term.
The power he attained and maintained in both Frankfort
and Washington helped secure money for Northern Kentucky
projects, including the Cincinnati--Northern Kentucky
International Airport at Hebron and the Federal courthouse
to be built in Covington.
As the announcement was made in Frankfort, Democrats and
Republicans alike expressed appreciation for Mr. Ford's
ability to accomplish feats no one else could. ``I think
he was one of the finest statesmen certainly that this
State has ever seen,'' said State Representative Jim
Callahan, D-Wilder.
Mr. Ford cut his teeth in Kentucky politics as State
president of the Jaycees and grew up in the bitter
factional wars that characterized Democratic politics. Mr.
Ford even turned his back on his former boss and defeated
former Governor Bert Combs in 1971 when he won office as
Governor.
When Republican Louie Nunn defeated Henry Ward for
Governor in 1970, Mr. Ford, as Lieutenant Governor, became
the Democratic Party's titular leader and won nomination
and election as Governor in 1971.
He took a look at higher office even as Governor,
unseating incumbent Republican U.S. Senator Marlow Cook in
1974.
Although the Senator's decision on a fifth term has been
a source of speculation for months, the announcement
Monday came somewhat as a surprise.
On Friday, Mr. Ford canceled a Washington meeting
scheduled for Monday with representatives from the Hebron
airport who are there for an airports association
convention.
``All of the conjecture up here was probably that he had
gone back to Owensboro because the flooding had moved down
there,'' said Kenton County Judge-executive Clyde
Middleton, who appoints the airport board.
When the Democrats were the majority party in the
Senate, Mr. Ford headed the Aviation Subcommittee. In
helping to get money for runway rebuilding and expansion
projects, he played a role in the airport's growth into a
major cog in the regional economy.
``That was an extremely influential position from
Northern Kentucky's standpoint and Greater Cincinnati's
standpoint,'' Mr. Middleton said.
Said airport spokesman Ted Bushelman, ``He got things
for our airport that we would have gotten no other way.''
One of those is the program to buy or soundproof homes
that are in the line of flights.
Mr. Ford spent much of Monday morning calling friends
and informing them of his decision. One of those was
Covington lawyer Phil Taliaferro. But he expected that the
call would announce another run for office.
``He said that he wanted to go home and spend time with
his grandchildren and fish with them,'' Mr. Taliaferro
said, recalling his 10-minute conversation with the
Senator. ``And he promised me he'd take me and my boy
fishing.''
Mr. Taliaferro's association with the former Governor
goes back to the late 1960's. The lawyer said he was
picked by Mr. Ford to be one of the first youth members on
the Democratic State Central Executive Committee. That was
followed by work on the 1971 gubernatorial campaign and an
appointment to the State Personnel Board.
Mr. Taliaferro also was a Ford fund-raiser for years, he
said. Most recently, they worked together on the Federal
courthouse planned for Fifth Street in Covington.
``It's hard to find a man who's been in public life with
all that power, all that long who's still got his feet on
the ground,'' Mr. Taliaferro said. ``I think * * * because
he has kept his head on his shoulders, maybe we don't
really * * * understand what we're losing. Kentucky is
losing its greatest modern-day Senator.''
One of the keys to his success, Mr. Taliaferro said, was
the Senator's ability not to lose touch with his
constituents.
An example was President Clinton's election-eve visit to
the University of Kentucky. Mr. Ford devoted his time at
the microphone not to praising a President, but to
thanking UK men's basketball coach Rick Pitino for saving
the Wildcats' program.
Several people cited Mr. Ford's propensity for stump
speaking. When introducing the Senator a few years ago at
a Boy Scouts function, Mr. Taliaferro quoted Shakespeare.
The Senator countered with another Shakespearean line:
``Let's kill all the lawyers.'' The crowd roared.
``He loved getting his chain pulled, and pulling your
chain,'' Mr. Taliaferro said.
ford's career highlights
Here are the major milestones in the life and career of
U.S. Senator Wendell Ford:
September 8, 1924, born, Daviess County, KY.
1959-61, chief assistant to Governor Bert Combs.
1965, elected to State Senate.
1967, elected Lieutenant Governor.
1971, elected Governor.
1974, defeated incumbent Marlow Cook for U.S. Senate.
December 28, 1974, took office in U.S. Senate.
November 1980, defeated Mary Louise Foust for second term.
November 1986, defeated Jackson M. Andrews for third term.
1990, elected Democratic whip in U.S. Senate.
November 1992, defeated State Senator David Williams for
fourth term.
---
[From the Washington Post, March 11, 1997]
Senator Ford Announces He Will Retire; Fourth-Term
Kentucky Democrat Voices Distaste for Fund-Raising Process
(By Helen Dewar)
Assistant Senate Minority Leader Wendell H. Ford (D-KY),
a crusty congressional insider whose causes have ranged
from defending tobacco to promoting easier voter
registration rules, announced yesterday that he will not
seek a fifth term next year.
Ford, 72, is the second veteran Democratic Senator to
decide against running again, raising Republicans' hopes
of expanding on gains they made in the last two elections.
Senator John Glenn (D-OH) announced last month that he
will retire after four terms.
Republicans, who hold a 55 to 45 edge in the Senate, are
poised to make strong bids in Kentucky and Ohio. If four-
term Senator Dale Bumpers (D-AR) decides against running
again, Republicans would have a good crack at a third
seat. But Democrats expect former Indiana Governor Evan
Bayh (D) to be a strong candidate for the seat of Senator
Dan Coats (IN), the only Republican who has so far
announced his impending retirement. Ford's decision also
raised the possibility of a scramble among Democrats for
their No. 2 leadership post in the Senate. Speculation
centered yesterday on Senators John B. Breaux (LA),
Barbara A. Mikulski (MD) and Harry M. Reid (NV).
In an emotional statement to supporters and family
members gathered at the State Capitol in Frankfurt, KY,
where Ford served as Governor in the early 1970's, he was
characteristically blunt as his 32-year political career
draws to a close.
Noting that the average cost of a Senate race has risen
from less than $450,000 to $4.5 million since he was
elected to the Senate in 1974, Ford said ``the job of
being a U.S. Senator today has unfortunately become a job
of raising money to be reelected instead of a job [of]
doing the people's business.''
In a swipe at President Clinton's use of the Lincoln
Bedroom to reward big Democratic givers, Ford said he
would have had to start raising $100,000 a week if he ran
again and ``Mrs. Ford won't let me bring anyone home to
sleep in our spare bedroom.''
While many other Senators have alluded to their distaste
for fundraising in their retirement statements, few have
done so with more force. ``I do not relish, in fact I
detest, the idea of having to raise $5 million for a job
that pays $133,000 a year,'' Ford said. ``Because of the
political money chase, Washington, DC, is fast becoming
the center of our lives, not our people back home.
``Democracy as we know it will be lost if we continue to
allow government to become one bought by the highest
bidder, for the highest bidder,'' he added. ``Candidates
will simply become bit players and pawns in a campaign
managed and manipulated by paid consultants and hired
guns.''
While Ford is one of the Senate's top leaders, serving
since 1991 as Democratic whip, he has operated largely out
of the limelight, preferring the role of insider and
defender of Kentucky interests, including tobacco,
bourbon, and coal. Most recently, he fought efforts to end
the Federal tobacco support program and opposed Clinton's
plan to help the Administration's ambitious health care
plan by increasing cigarette taxes.
Ford was also instrumental in passage of ``motor-voter''
legislation allowing people to register to vote when they
apply for drivers' licenses, and he spoke proudly
yesterday of his cosponsorship of legislation to assure
that women are not released prematurely from hospitals
after childbirth or mastectomies.
Ford was chairman of the Senate Rules and Administration
Committee for 8 years and is its ranking Democrat.
He has been a fierce partisan but also lined up with
those who tried to push the Democratic Party toward a more
centrist position. Ford said yesterday that he spent ``a
good part of my Senate career and political life working
to nudge, and occasionally shove, our party back toward
the center of the political road.''
---
[From the Courier-Journal, March 16, 1997]
Pragmatism, Personal Skills Boosted Ford
(By Robert T. Garrett)
When U.S. Senator Wendell Ford announced Monday that he
would pack it in and head home for good next year, the
State Reception Room in the State Capitol was bathed in
nostalgia and awash in unabashed sentimentality.
Visible in gilded mirrors, which share the walls with
tapestries of water scenes, were dimly familiar faces.
Here was former U.S. Senator Walter ``Dee'' Huddleston,
the old radio broadcaster from Elizabethtown who'd leagued
with Ford when the two served in the State Senate in the
mid-1960's. There was State Representative Eddie Ballard,
the bowling-alley operator and Ford contact man in
Madisonville. Yonder were the two survivors of the
original trio of top Ford advisers--elfin Bill Wester, the
token liberal; and cherry-cheeked Tommy Preston, the PR
man. It was a gathering of the Kentucky Democratic Party,
past.
And while it is still not common to see grown men crying
in public, and while Ford has not been the sort of
politician who bared his soul, but rather, tended to come
off as a sort of wisecracking tough guy who never let
anyone see him sweat, on Monday, both he and his long-time
backers tuned up and flowed with tears and emotion during
his announcement--especially when the old warrior
apologized to his two adult children, Shirley and Steve,
for absenteeism as a father.
They may have been as influential as anyone in nudging
Ford to climb off the mountain, under his own volition,
while he's still sound of mind.
Also a big factor, according to Ford intimates, were the
exits last year of three of his Senate buddies, Jim Exon
of Nebraska, Howell Heflin of Alabama, and Alan Simpson of
Wyoming, all of the Class of 1978; and the recent
retirement announcement of Ohio Senator John Glenn, who,
with Ford, is one of four Senate Democrats left who were
first elected in 1974.
Ford denied that he had any fear of going to bat next
year against the big righthander, 4th District GOP
Representative Jim Bunning. ``He's so far right, out at
the fringes, that he'd be easy to run against,'' Ford
taunted. Implicit in the retirement announcement, however,
was Ford's respect for, and wariness of, the mountain of
greenbacks that Bunning, as a member of the House tax-
writing committee, would be able to raise for a Senate
bid.
As he rambled on about floods (brought out the Kentucky
spirit) and Hazard's airport runway (2,000 feet short of
the length needed to land a 727) and a museum in Owensboro
(where he may conduct a ``school of politics'' for young
people), Ford clearly didn't want to let go of the
rostrum. Or the limelight. But his lapses into the prosaic
allowed time to think. Where does this guy fit into
history?
Ford is best understood as a tenacious survivor amid the
crumbling ruins of the Democratic Party. In the late
1960's and early 1970's, Democrats alienated much of their
middle-class and blue-collar political base with amazing
feats of tone-deafness.
Perhaps the best single account of this fiasco was
published last year. In The Inheritance: How Three
Families and America Moved from Roosevelt to Reagan and
Beyond, Samuel G. Freedman, a former reporter for The New
York Times, shows how Democrats won and then lost the
votes of three Catholic immigrant families. How'd the Dems
blow it? By letting the working class fight the Vietnam
War. Denying the welfare State's nexus to the breakdown of
families and civic life. Ignoring crime. Condemning the
skilled-trades unions as racist, when there was union
autonomy, not just race, at stake. Letting the
environmental movement be taken over by elitists. On and
on it went.
Wendell Ford never lost the rank-and-file Democrats.
True, in Kentucky, he was lucky. He exploited Republican
Governor Louie B. Nunn's raising of the sales tax, which
was, for Ford, manna from heaven. He used the issue to
reconnect the Democratic Party with union members and
voters with modest incomes. Ford won election as Governor
in 1971 primarily on his pledge to take the sales tax off
groceries. He made good on the pledge before heading to
the Senate.
On cultural and social issues, Ford pulled off a
remarkable balancing act. On the one hand, he endorsed the
death penalty, opposed busing, opposed abortion (though he
was already in the Senate by the time it became a mega-
issue). He didn't condemn supporters for having a ``Rally
for Calley'' during Lieutenant William Calley's court-
martial on murder charges stemming from the 1968 My Lai
massacre.
At the same time, remarkably, the small-town Jaycee
politician vacuumed up liberal women activists in
Louisville--Blanche Mahoney, Lois Cronholm, Eva Spaid,
Nancy Bell, and Marie Abrams. He did so by delivering
early ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment, and by
keeping in touch. Despite many disagreements over the
years, Mahoney says, ``you always felt like he was
listening'' and ``every one of (us) still backs Ford to
the hilt.''
By keeping his ear to the ground, but assuaging the
party's liberal flank now and then, Ford staved off the
GOP Revolution. His hallmarks were pragmatism and strong
personal skills. He'll be missed.
---
[From the Courier-Journal, July 19, 1998]
Democrats Pay Tribute to Senator Ford; Vice President
Joins Thousands To Offer Praise
(By Al Cross)
One of the largest crowds of Kentucky Democrats in many
years gathered with Vice President Al Gore last night to
pay tribute to the pillar of the party in the last third
of this century--retiring U.S. Senator Wendell Ford.
``It makes me feel maybe for a moment we could recapture
those days when people got involved in politics,''
Governor Paul Patton said as he began his speech to more
than 2,000 people at the Kentucky Horse Park.
``This is sort of the end of an era,'' former State
party Chairman Howard ``Sonny'' Hunt said as he mingled
outside before the event. He was one of several Democrats
who couldn't recall when a State party event had drawn
such a crowd. ``We've got Democrats, but they won't come
out for anybody except Wendell, `' said Maxine Glenn of
Kenton County, one of the many longtime party activists
who earned their spurs in Ford's campaigns for Lieutenant
Governor, Governor, and Senator in the 1960's and 1970's.
Gore said Ford's impact in 24 years in the Senate--a
record for a Kentuckian--has gone far beyond those who
worked for him politically.
``Wendell Ford has done more good things for more people
than probably any other Kentuckian in the 20th century,''
Gore said.
``The legend of Wendell Ford is written more in the
stories that you don't hear than the stories that you do.
The student who needs help with a loan, the veteran who
needs help with medical benefits, the widow who needs a
Social Security check * * *. Making their lives better has
been his life's work.''
Ford's closest friend in the Senate, Democrat Daniel
Inouye of Hawaii, said Ford is the one Senator who stands
out among the 323 Inouye has served with since 1963.
``There's nothing phony about him,'' Inouye said,
recalling when Ford came to the Senate in 1974. ``There
were no ribbons, no frills, no bells. What you saw, you
got.''
The audience, which came from the far reaches of the
State, applauded knowingly. It came to honor Ford, not to
learn about him--though it did hear some rarely heard
tales about his prowess at handling mules, shotguns and
other politicians.
Patton led the way with the honors, announcing that the
State party headquarters Ford built while Governor was
being named for him, and that he had signed an executive
order renaming Kentucky's longest parkway the Wendell H.
Ford Western Kentucky Parkway--much as the Mountain
Parkway was named for Bert T. Combs, the Eastern Kentucky
Governor Ford served as an aide but defeated in the 1971
Democratic primary for Governor.
Patton told the crowd that Ford, who is from Owensboro,
asked during the applause when the parkway, which is rough
in spots, would be repaved. ``The check's in the mail,''
Patton said.
Ford kept it up when it came his turn to speak, saying
he was going to call ``first thing in the morning and see
if the bids are out.''
His response to the adulation was largely to return
tribute to those who helped elect him, including some
Republicans who were in the crowd. He said the turnout
showed ``why I consider myself one of the luckiest men
alive.''
He asked, ``How good am I? Only as good as the people
who helped.''
Ford said that after he retires January 3, ``I hope to
get the next generation of Kentuckians interested in
government and the political process * * * and teach them
the pure joy--the pure joy!--that comes from helping
others and maybe, just maybe, I'll be able to give back a
small fraction of what you have been able to give to me.''
Ford arrived at the park at midafternoon and quickly got
his white shirt smeared with makeup as he hugged, shook
hands with, and posed for pictures with many people he
hadn't seen in years.
``By God, the old-timers are here, aren't they?'' Ford
exulted as he greeted longtime Democratic activist John
Crimmins, 86, of Louisville, who said he first met Ford in
1947.
``He was the friendliest, easiest person to talk to of
all the people I have ever met,'' Crimmins said.